Candle In the Night
by Mishee
Summary: An oracle's prophesy spoke of the Demon Lord's demise, but told of a different fate for the Ronin Warriors. Now, thousands of years later, will her words light the Ronins to a new destiny, or will our warriors forever remain in the darkness? CH 6 ADDED
1. Prologue I: Prophesy

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of a few characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

**Teaser: **An oracle's prophesy spoke of the Demon Lord's demise, but told of a different fate for the Ronin Warriors. Now, thousands of years later, will her words light the Ronins to a new destiny, or will our warriors forever remain in the darkness?

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle in the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Prologue: Part I --  
**_Prophesy_

By mid-afternoon, it was all over. Plumes of black smoke from fire rose from villages in the distance, helping to darken the already murky evening sky above. No more screams could be heard; only groans of the dying and the wounded. But even then, the painful noises were blocked by the faded cheers of soldiers and warriors as they celebrated their new victory.

Camp had been set up just before the clearing of the great forest. Campfires were scattered among the sea of tents that had been set up that day. The smell of sizzling meat, of which was to be that evening's dinner, filled the camp, and hungry men crowded around the flames ravenously, staring longingly at their would-be meal. A few were already eating, the fortunate ones who had made it to the camp early before the crowd had settled in.

Hours later found the same camp at rest. The majority of the men were already finishing up their meal and were now passing around drink. Raucous laughter broke out around the fire as the contented soldiers crowded around the licking flames, sharing wild stories and tall tales of the great battle, of soldiers killing fifty or so men at a single stroke, of the taking of the women, of—

And then a man stood, none the older or younger than the others, his face a mask of exasperation. He waved his arms about impatiently, and the noise quickly abated. He was a humpbacked figure, tall and slender, his face handsome but marred by scars. The younger soldiers stared at him in a mix of wonder and annoyance, but the man spoke. His voice was strong and deep, his words echoing around the fire.

_The armor_, he said. _The armor of Gods and Men has been taken. The Guardian armors have been conquered._ For it was the taking of the armors that had given them the victory. And from it, He had had melded them together to form the ultimate armor—the one that could not be stopped.

The Guardians had been strong that afternoon. Men could not defeat them, and neither could the soldiers. But then, at the stroke of three, a heavy shadow suddenly fell over the dusty battleground. As the darkness fell, the fighters stood at a hush. A great figure, a shadow radiating in white, stood atop the hill, malicious eyes glittering from the cap of his shield. It was a sight to behold, for who would have ever thought that a man would come to possess the armor of the Gods? On his hands, He bore the twin soul swords—_the swords of fire,_ the storyteller whispered—which He raised slowly, the clanks of his celestial armor resonating from the movement.

Once the swords came down, it was death to whomever they had been intended for. The guardians fell that day, during that battle, at the stroke of three. The guardians fell, and their mystical armors taken—_taken to be molded_,the man rumored darkly, _to be molded into an armor of ultimate destruction._ And it was thus that victory had come to them. It was thus that the celebration was theirs to enjoy.

Finished with his tale, the man stood straight, basking in the warmth of the soldiers' attention. _Yes,_ he whispered finally to break the awed silence, _a new era had begun. The era of the new armor, whose name of the bearer shall go down through time and beyond... _

_The era of Talpa._

**-- OOOOOOOOOO --**

He fingered the pale blue crystal in his hand gently, feeling the icy touch penetrate through his rough, calloused skin. _To think that such power can be held—_he raised the crystal up, turning it on its axis to catch the light of the flames—_under the security of a small jewel as this…_

He stared at the jewel curiously as it glinted from the light, and then brought it back down to the safety of his hand. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, the rough material of his robe rubbing against his skin, and fixed his eyes upon the dark room. There was hardly any noise, since the camp had finally succumbed to sleep. The ceremonials had finally ended just shortly after midnight, and the only sound that could now be heard was the crackling of the flames as they consumed the dry twigs that had been fed to it. Even his servants were asleep.

Sighing, he stood, running a quick hand through his shoulder-length, white hair. He was unnaturally tall for his age and mostly stocky in figure, blessed with a broad upper body and cursed, at the same time, with legs too long and too gangly for him to balance on. Still, he was a figure that commanded attention. His eyes, a pale, icy blue, shone in bright contrast to his pale skin. A straight nose and stubborn chin completed his handsome face.

The young man stood at attention for a moment, his firm mouth set into a slight scowl. Then, several footsteps were heard echoing down the corridor. They paused in front of the door, and then there came a soft knock.

"My Lord," came the reply from behind the barrier. "Forgive me for bothering you at so late an hour, but we have heard news from the Gods' city…" The voice trailed off. Upon hearing the words, the young man raised his eyebrows slightly and raised his arm to signal the door guard. The doors opened automatically. A thin, short man walked into the room nervously, dressed in the rough armor of a courier soldier. He quickly walked down the pathway until he was just short of a few meters away from the throne. Then, he came down to one knee and bowed. The young man impatiently waved his hand, scowling even further.

"Get up, old man." The courier quickly consented to the command. "What tidings do you bring?"

"I bring news from Raoul's army from the west, as they are stationed in the Gods' city," the man stammered. "My Lord, he wishes for me to tell you that they have fallen the city. They have captured as many prisoners possible and have searched the local premises for any sign of the final armor."

"And?"

"With all apologies, my Lord, but it has not been found. The city is taken, but the black armor cannot be located."

The young man's eyes glittered angrily and he muttered a curse under his breath. The courier trembled slightly, but continued to stand nervously at attention. When the white-haired lord failed to say anything, the courier continued on hesitantly.

"Sir, if I may have permission to speak…"

Pale blue eyes met his own sharply. "What is it?"

"My Lord, many of the prisoners have been brought here from the fallen city. We have had barely any problems with them, since all male prisoners have been killed on your orders, and the women and children are quite capable—"

"State your grievance, courier!" the young man snapped impatiently.

"Well, yes, of course," the courier stammered. "We…we have lately been having trouble with one of the female prisoners, my Lord. She is quite obstreperous and riotous, inciting her own kind to rebel against you. She is quite stubborn."

"Then kill her," was the calm reply.

"She is of mystical background, sire," the courier continued haltingly. "An oracle, they have identified her as, from the fallen city of the Gods."

"An oracle?" The young man, who had seated himself back at his throne, leaned forward, a gleam of interest in his eyes.

"Yes, my Lord."

There was a pause. Then, the young man leaned back and gestured with a hand. "Bring her to me."

"As you wish, my Lord." The courier bowed deeply again and quickly rushed to the exit, calling out a firm command. Two soldiers appeared under the doorway and strode into the room, dragging in between them their female captive. Once they had reached the same designated space at which the courier had stood on earlier, they threw her down into the floor and stood at attention in front of their ruler. The enthroned young man waved them away and, bowing, they exited the room.

The woman was a young creature, her skin of an ivory tone, and she had long, curly locks of pale, strawberry hair that cascaded down her skinny shoulders. Her face was thin, set with delicate eyebrows and an obstinate mouth. As she struggled to get to her feet, she lifted her gaze to meet her opponent, and her emerald eyes suddenly flashed with hatred.

The young man's mouth curled into a sly smile and he greeted his lone audience with a nod.

"What do they call you?"

The woman was now at her feet. She wore nothing but a dirty toga, stained to brown from mud and gore. Her messy curls crowded her smudged face, and she tossed her head back to rid of them. She did not answer him and he narrowed his eyes slightly.

"They say you come from the Gods' city." He licked his lips slowly, a lustful gaze set at the young woman. "It has long been rumored that those living under the dwellings of the Gods are protected by them, as well."

She glared at him from her place. "The Gods continue to protect us, and it is within time that such will be shown!"

"Within _what_ time, I wonder?" the young man responded languidly. "The Gods have never cared to listen to the pathetic cries of their human companions. I do not expect that now will be any different."

She didn't respond, merely threw him a gaze that may well put out fire. The young man smiled again and stood, beginning to walk closer to where she was standing.

"They also tell me that you are an oracle," he said quietly, his voice dropping to a murmur. He was now in front of her, penetrating her gaze with his own. She could feel his breath on her face, but she didn't dare to break her gaze. His hand went out to fondle a stray lock of hair. She flinched inwardly and was very still.

"Do not touch me," she said very quietly through clenched teeth.

"They didn't tell me," he said, ignoring her last sentence as his hands strayed from the hair to touch her face, "that you were beautiful…" his hands were now moving past her face—she was beginning to tremble in anger now—and down her neck, coming dangerously close to her chest, "…as well…"

She could feel his touch, the icy coldness gripping her body. She turned away sharply, repulsed, and her hand moved out on instinct, making sharp contact with the man's face.

"_Do not touch me!"_ she screamed. "Murdering son of a cur—" She was met by a sharp strike on her face, and she fell sideways, gasping. The young man towered over her, shoulders shaking in all fury, a deep red mark on his pallid face.

"_Little whore_," he snarled. "You dare to strike the Lord Talpa?"

"You are no Lord!" she spat out hideously. "A monster such as you does not deserve to live on this Earth. A sick-minded, slaughtering little hellion you are, but you are _no Lord_!"

Snarling, he kicked her viciously and she sprawled away to the side.

"And you," he sneered poisonously, "are a sniveling little pathetic bitch. You deserve worse than death for your crimes."

"I welcome it with open arms," she jeered, despite her wounded state. She continued to glare at him. "It is mercy to die than to live under the tortuous rule of a demonic monster. It is well-deserved, the fate of your kind, for you will fare worse than death under the hands of the Gods that protect us!"

"I tremble at the thought," Talpa replied back sarcastically. "Though I do not regard your 'gods' as any threat."

"Your words hide your cowardice," she hissed. "You hide under the great armors, yet you are powerless without them! The armors belong to those that command peace and charity."

"The armors are _mine!_" he snapped violently, "And I would advise you to keep your little mouth shut before it is stuffed with your own innards."

"The armors were never yours," she whispered cynically, becoming very pale. Her lip was bleeding and a dark bruise was beginning to form over her already swollen eye. She was still on the ground, but she was sitting up and supporting herself with one hand, the other hand covering the place where she had been kicked. "The master of the white one had passed away years ago—"

"But his descendants lived," Talpa pressed, eyes glinting dangerously. In his hand, he was tightly gripping the icy crystal. "As his son's child, I am the only living blood relative. The armor is linked to me by blood, and it is me that it has chosen!"

"The armor will be your downfall," she said softly, her eyes becoming very still. "And forever you will suffer afterward in the land of unliving. The armor has chosen you, but it will use you, and it is then that you will meet your fate…"

"Shut up!" he commanded, by now thoroughly spent with her. His face was livid, the bruise of her slap still apparent, and he kept flexing his fist, as if meaning to strangle her then and there. Her words, however, had sparked the slightest touch of doubt that had lay hidden for so long and his eyes shifted nervously.

The young woman closed her eyes. Her ghostlike appearance made her seem as if she was dead even while she was sitting up. However, after a few moments, a deep calm seemed to go over her. She opened her eyes, and Talpa could see that there seemed to burn a new flame within the emerald depths. Her face had become completely stone, and she now stared at Talpa with frightening intensity.

"The armors will become your undoing," she whispered. "Oft sun and rain, one will rise to meet you…"

_A tree for his weapon, friend at his side  
__To give light to shadow, under laws abide._

_From the maiden, a flame shall spring;  
__From hence, a child of light she brings.  
__Of man, yet blessed with the ancients' gift,  
__Cursed with a burden no will can lift.  
__An end she brings, of light she calls  
__--yet, for man, will bring her fall._

_Hope shall prevail, five more to be borne,  
__To give aid to warriors in battlefield forlorn,  
__Armed with rites from where holy armors dwell;  
__But of the heart, a most powerful spell…_

The words were strange, but deathly ominous, and Talpa went pale with fury and fear. Clenching his fists, he raised an arm up swiftly. The heavy double doors to the chamber slammed open and the guards appeared once again.

"Take her away!" he commanded, shaking. "Do not spare her!"

"My Lord—"

"_Do it!_" he screamed. The guards bowed hastily and took the girl roughly between their holds. The woman, her face completely bloodless, smiled strangely, her mouth still moving, and she stared at him.

"You can't escape fate," she said quietly as they picked her up. "I am Celeste, oracle of the gods' city. Heed my words, demon lord…"

"Shut up!" Talpa boomed, raising his arms as if to strike her again. To the guards, he shouted, "Make _sure_ she is not spared! I wanted her head brought to me as proof!"

The guards nodded and began to drag the woman away. But, even with the death sentence, Celeste continued to stare at Talpa with her strange intensity.

"Heed my words…" she repeated.

_With battle over, nine of them all  
__Of five spirit guardians, each standing tall  
__Shall break the stronghold, whose greatness we pretend—_

The soldiers were already at the door. Talpa lifted an arm up swiftly, and the barriers began to close. Yet, even as the oracle's face disappeared from view, her voice echoed on eerily in the chamber, and her prophesying words burned forever into his mind, eliciting the first shadows of his fear to be revealed.

_Shall break the stronghold, whose greatness we pretend  
__And through the ruin, the demon's rule end…_

**

* * *

A/N**: Ah, the infamous Author's Note. I think I deserve to offer you guys an explanation for my re-write. I began writing the original _Candle In the Night_ when I was about 14 years old…ninth grade. I was a bit naïve then, being that I was a first-time writer, not knowing about those dreaded Mary-Sues or the repeated clichés that are now often seen in fan fiction of all genres. When I finished it, I was pretty proud of myself, and became even more so after I began receiving very positive reviews and comments from a lot of readers. However, I've grown. Going back now, three years later, and reading what I'd written, I'm not pleased with it. As a writer, I think that I'll always end up being my harshest critic.

And so, I thought about it for a while. I had numerous sequels in store for CiTN, but I immediately put a hold on those. I did not feel like continuing CiTN with sequels, when I was not happy with the original story itself. So, with patient research and much thinking, I finally decided to do a rewrite. I do not know if this will attract the same kind of "popularity" (if I could even call it that -grin-) as the original CiTN, but I hope it will. This rewrite basically tells the same story as the original CiTN, except there are more twists, and a lot more to leave you actually _thinking_.

I really do appreciate comments, and I _especially_ welcome criticism—as long as it's constructive. None of those, "I hate you. you suck ass!!" type of things that I sometimes get. Always give me the _why_ as to _why_ you hate/love it, okay? Thank you for listening to me, and I apologize for this super long a/n. I won't do something like this again. I just thought that I owed all my readers an explanation.


	2. Prologue II: The Name in the Ring

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle in the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Prologue: Part II --  
**_The Name in the Ring_

_Thousands of years later  
__March, 1976  
__Houshu Forest, Japan_

"Beautiful…"

His whispered words were lost in the wind as his sharp, green eyes gazed blankly at the scene before him. Springhad come early that month, on the second turn of the moon, and it had become unusually warm at such an early hour of the day. Morning just dawned not a few hours ago, and now, bright, pale sunlight filtered through the thick canopies of the trees, creating intricate patterns of gold and black shadows on the worn forest ground.

He forced his gaze away from the scene, now glancing at the mound before him. He regarded the mound silently, his face twisting slightly into a thoughtful, mournful frown. For a few minutes, only silence reigned in the scene. Even the birds had become quiet, if there were even any birds around. Not a breath of wind could be felt, not a single sound heard as he knelt with one knee, positioned carefully to the side of the mound. To his back, a small river coursed past him, gently murmuring, the early sunlight gleaming brightly against the water's surface.

The young man sighed, closing his eyes briefly. A rough, calloused palm slowly came forward to stroke the layer of dirt that covered the mound securely. If only he had been more careful; if only he had stayed with her that day…

…_there wouldn't have been so much blood. There was so much…over her body, spreading over her delicate stomach—the scarlet redness dripping to the ground, creating small rivers. And the warm fluid, still coursing down as he held the scythe before her in his hands, his face twisted in horror, the shock overcoming him until he was weak in the knees, and the scream…her choking scream—_

"_Baka_."

The voice was deep and came suddenly from behind, with no hint of any emotion. The kneeling young man opened his eyes, but didn't turn and didn't respond. The person to whom the voice belonged to muttered a curse when no reply was given.

"I told you she was trouble," the voice continued in a low tone. "I _warned_ you, for Gods' sake…but you wouldn't fucking listen. Goddamned stubborn bastard—"

He was momentarily cut off as his companion slowly came to his feet, green eyes hardened, lips pale and tight with anger. However, he chose to remain silent, instead staring once again at the rough grave.

The other man glared thoughtfully, silently. A heavy silence draped over the scene.

"What do you want me to do?" the same man finally growled.

_Do with what? _Surprised by the question, but choosing not show it, the first man turned his attention to his companion.

He stood a few inches away in full, dark armor. Scraggly blue hair crowned his sunburned face, the messy bangs just barely hiding his stormy eyes. His helmet was tucked securely under his right arm, while on his left, he cradled a bundle of white. The baby…_her_ baby…

The blue-haired man shifted uncomfortably from the stare and snapped, "Quit your gawking! What do you want me to do with her? Answer me this time, Anubis."

Anubis glanced at him, his emerald eyes once again retaining its blank look. He came forward, his armor clanking softly from the movements, and offered his arms.

"Give her to me."

The other man frowned at the abruptness of his companion's tone, but complied, handing the bundle over with unusual gentleness. Anubis took the infant in his arms and stared at her. She must have been no more than two months old, as he was able to tell from her size. She had been dozing in the other man's arms, and still continued to do so, her face peaceful and innocent. He carefully brought an arm up to stroke the short crown of grey-brown curls that adorned her tiny head. _She looks so much like her mother…_

He stared at the baby for a few minutes, his face impassive. Then, seeming to reach a decision, he turned and began to walk toward the river. His dark-haired companion gave a start at the sudden movement and likewise came forward.

"Hey, what do you think—"

Anubis cut him off as he raised the baby over the river, fingers just barely holding the bundle.

"She can't live, not without her parents. She has no reason to." He held the bundle even further outward. "In living, she will only suffer…"

His voice ended abruptly. Behind him, the blue-haired man waited, then stiffened slightly as Anubis's hands began to tremble. _My God, he's going to do it. He's really going to do it— _

"_Matte!_" the man stepped forward. "Anubis, think about this. She's only an infant! We can take her to town or—"

"Or what?" Anubis hadn't turned, his arms still outstretched over the river, holding the infant in a precarious position.

The man didn't say anything, and appeared to be thinking deeply for an answer.

"Or what, Cale?" Anubis pressed on impatiently, a frustrated tone to his voice.

"We don't have to do this," Cale repeated, not answering the question. His face had suddenly grown weary, sad. "Aren't you tired of this, Anubis? All this unnecessary killing—don't you get tired?"

Anubis became moodily silent. A steady breeze blew past his face, disturbing the heavy strands of reddish-auburn hair that flowed behind him. With it returned the soft voice of his memory, a memory that he was already trying to blacken…

…"_You are different, Anubis." She glanced at him sadly, long bangs falling gently over her violet eyes. "You have a kind heart."_

_A touch of scarlet lit his cheeks, but he turned sharply away before she could notice._

"_You know nothing about me," he finally growled._

"_I know _this_." She paused, staring long and hard at his slowly reddening face. He stood up to hide the embarrassment—and her stare—and walked toward the window. Even with this movement, her eyes followed._

"_You won't do it, will you?" she finally asked, voice incredibly soft. He continued to stare out of the window, silent as ever. She looked down at her lap sadly._

"_Tell me," she whispered. "If…if they find me…tell me that you'll keep her."_

_That you'll keep her…like you did me…_

Cale hadn't moved from his position, but his muscles had grown tense. He carefully watched his companion, who had likewise not moved from his position by the river. Unfortunately, his arms that were holding the baby were still dangling over the current.

The blue-haired young man counted the seconds slowly, never taking his eyes off his companion. Forty seconds…fifty…fifty-five…

Just over a minute had passed when there came a quick movement. Anubis was suddenly dangling the child higher than before, as if readying to drop her. The armored man sucked in a sharp breath, a pang of horror springing from within at the thought of the future murder about to take place. He waited for the hands to let go, for the bundle to fall, the splash of water, the scream that would soon be silenced to a gurgle as the baby slowly drowned. He waited, holding his breath…waited…

_Please…tell me you'll keep her…_

Cale coughed, then coughed again. He bent over forward, choking slightly, one gloved hand over his chest. When the fit had passed, he looked up. Anubis's arms were down, but there had been no splash, no scream. With a start, he then caught sight of the white material that poked discreetly over his arm.

Anubis was still holding the baby.

It took a moment for Cale to take all of this in. Then, regaining his stiff composure, he straightened. At the same time, the red-haired young man turned, proving once and for all the he was still holding the baby. Anubis's gaze was trained on the infant, but as Cale took a step forward, he looked up. Their gazes met and held. From Anubis's green irises, there burned a determined fire, a look of pride regained. Cale broke the gaze and did not further his steps. Anubis, however, was walking toward him and soon, slowly, passed him.

Anubis was going to keep her—Cale had seen it in his eyes. He didn't know why, didn't know how. He did know, though, that nothing he would say or do would prevent him from caring for the infant. As the Warlord of Cruelty passed by, a question escaped from Cale's mouth, as if on impulse.

"What will you call her?"

Anubis paused at the question and glanced down at the child again. She was still sleeping, but if his memory served right…

Deft fingers gently touched the baby's obscure neckline, searching, until finally they came into contact with something warm…something solid. The warlord lifted the prized object--the ring. It was a simple gold band, bearing no hint of any decoration, and yet seemingly elegant in appearance. The piece of jewelry was fastened by a rough necklace of rope, which he now unknotted and held up for view. The ring dangled before him, swinging gently, its surface glinting in the sunlight. He had seen the ring before, had seen her rub the inside surface gently, as if trying to rub away a painful memory. Poking with his finger, he rubbed the inner surface of the ring, and felt the surface breaks of an engraving. He withdrew his fingers and peered. The engraved letters were written in beautiful script, not in kanji as he was used to. Yet, despite the speech barrier, he knew what the words meant, could _feel_ what they said.

"Hikari," he whispered. Behind him, Cale looked bewildered.

"What?"

"Hikari," he repeated louder. He held the ring once more, then pocketed it. "She will be named…Hikari." With that, he resumed his walk. Cale watched him for a moment, then followed. However, before he had moved more than three steps, he paused and turned.

It was not as quiet as it had been before. The birds had returned and were chattering quietly to themselves overhead. The gentle sound of crickets could be made out in the distance. The blue-haired warrior gazed around at the scene uncomfortably, before his dark eyes finally fastened on the mound a few meters away. Three stones marked the rough grave, a small tribute to the memory of the woman Anubis had kept from danger, even if it was only for a little while.

Drawn by a strange impulse, he slowly approached the mound. When he reached it, he stood in silence. Seconds passed, then minutes. Cale inclined his head into a respectful bow, then straightened. For some strange reason, he felt as if he had expected something to happen—he didn't know what. Just something. But, nothing had changed. The river was still gurgling gently, the sun was still shining. The grave still looked as it was, except for the fact that it was now covered with a scattering of _sakura_ blossoms carried by the spring breeze.

The warlord firmed his lips into a line. Something still seemed…seemed _expected_. He let out a breath.

"I am…"

He hesitated, feeling ashamed and relieved at the same time.

"I am sorry," he finally whispered. He bowed his head, dark bangs covering his eyes, and waited. Nothing happened. He straightened, and light came back to his eyes: a sorrowful light.

"I wish you my peace," he murmured, then turned. There was nothing more to say, nothing that would change what had been done. He slowly walked away from the grave, a proud, beaten figure in dark, finally disappearing into the distance.

He failed to see the wreath of wild flowers that floated gently along the river surface, nor was he able to suspect the sorrowful song that the breeze now carried: a song of a child lost, of a love unparalleled—a song of a heart in mourning…

**

* * *

A/N:** Please note that this scene takes place _thousands_ of years after the Prophesy has been made. In other words, Part II of the Prologue is _not_ continuous with Part I; there is a huge time gap between the two.

And yes, I changed Quinn's name. -ducks- I can't quite explain why; the story _made_ me change it. I hope it doesn't cause too much confusion... :x


	3. Chapter 1: Homecoming

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle In the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Chapter I --  
**_Homecoming_

_April, 1987  
__Houshu Forest, Japan_

_Crash_! _Bang_!

The sounds of bamboo shutters slamming open and close echoed eerily throughout the small house, traveling through the thin walls of the bedroom, and startling the young girl awake from her sleep. She sat up, steadying herself with one hand on the futon, and blinking rapidly as she tried to shake the drowsiness from her eyes. Her mind, still slow from having been jolted awake so suddenly, analyzed the loud sounds that continued to emanate through the walls. 'The shutters,' she thought finally, sleepily. 'The latch must be loose again. But what would make them slam open..?'

Realization suddenly hit her, and she immediately got to her feet, throwing off the quilts that had covered her in her slumber. Dashing to the nearest window, she peered through the slits of the shutters before pushing them open. A rough catch of wind blew against her as she opened the window, giving her goose bumps. With the window now open, the sight of harsh rain falling in droves all throughout the forest met her eyes.

For a split second, she could only stare alarmingly at the rain and the sky, which was covered in dark gray clouds that promised even more rain. "If this continues, the vegetables'll be ruined," she murmured to herself. In the next moment, she was at the opposite corner of the room, undressing quickly behind the security of a folding screen and slipping into a simple, linen _yukata_, olive-green in color.

She exited the room, her hands working quickly to tie the rough, cloth belt around her waist. Passing hastily through the kitchen and towards the front door, she donned an oilskin cloak over her shoulders and slipped her feet into a pair of _geta_. The elevated wooden sandals were comfortable despite how they looked, and she was glad to wear them especially now as they would help keep her feet from getting too wet. She paused to grab a few items from the shelf next to the door: a small wooden mallet, a few long, giant nails, and a large folded tarp. Tucking the items securely under her arms, she undid the wooden latch on the door. She had to brace herself for a few seconds before finally stepping out into the downpour.

The girl yelped in surprise as lukewarm rain water cascaded down her body in little rivers. The rain was not freezing, as she had hoped it wouldn't be, but it still fell quite heavily to the point that she felt like she was standing under a mini waterfall. Gritting her teeth against the hard-falling rain, she ran the quarter mile it took to reach the clearing in the forest where she kept her little patch. Out of breath, she paused to rest for a few seconds, letting the hammer, tarp, and nails fall to the ground.

As she rested, she surveyed the damage that had been done. A giant puddle already covered most of her herb patch, but the soybeans and leeks still looked somewhat salvageable. The sweet potatoes, however, were nearly engulfed by another puddle, and she knew she had to work fast to save what she could. She took to her knees and used one of the long nails to help her dig, managing to pull out six potatoes—roots and all—within a few minutes.

After deciding that six was a sufficient amount number to save, she moved on to harvest a few carrots, leeks, and cabbage heads. Just as she was about to throw herself into the soybean patch, she was startled by the sound of thunder booming from afar. She tilted her head up just in time to see a streak of lightning flash brilliantly in the distance. The rain continued to pound mercilessly, and she was soaked through, despite the waterproof cloak. She turned her gaze back to her garden, which was now mostly covered by puddles, and sighed heavily.

"_Shigata ga nai, ne_," she muttered, letting out another sigh as she took to her feet. It couldn't be helped; since it was impossible to haul all of the vegetables to dry ground, she'd have to sacrifice some of them. Giving up on the harvesting idea, she decided to do the next best thing: cover the patch. Picking up the small hammer, the tarp, and the nails, she squatted next to a patch that was the least covered in puddles and nailed one corner-piece of tarp on that area. She then went to the opposite corners and used the nails to hammer the tarp in place such that the tarp now covered the entire patch.

After the last nail was put in place, she stood up to inspect her work. Thunder boomed again, this time even closer, followed by a flash of lightning that momentarily engulfed the clearing with light. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a shadow, and she whirled around, gray eyes flashing suspiciously. She saw no one.

Water dripped down from her head, sliding down her cloak and onto her yukata, absorbing into the linen. Her arm began to tingle with goose bumps, but not because of the cold. As her heart began to race, she knew then that she wasn't alone.

Warily, she began to pick up the few vegetables she had saved and gathered them onto a pile. Using her oversized cloak as a makeshift bag, she transferred the pile onto her "bag," her hands shaking ever so slightly. In her mind, she searched for ideas of how she should deal with the threat. She didn't think that being bold and demanding that the stranger come out would be a great idea. Then again, she didn't want to ignore the situation and be caught unawares later, especially if the stranger wanted to do her harm.

The girl was so concentrated in her thoughts that she barely noticed when the suspicious presence had come closer. By the time she had regained enough of her senses to realize that the presence was directly behind her, the stranger's hand was already on her shoulder.

The second she felt the hand on her shoulder, she reacted without thinking. With a cry of surprise, the girl rammed her elbow as hard as she could behind her. She felt her elbow hit something soft, and the stranger choked, doubling over to clutch the bruised area, all the while leaving his back completely vulnerable. Using this to her advantage, the girl turned quickly and dug another elbow sharply to the stranger's back. The elbow chop sent the cloaked stranger sprawling to the mud-soaked ground, where he lay groaning in pain.

The girl immediately backed away until she was more than a foot's distance from the cloaked offender. Thunder boomed overhead, and she jumped, nearly tripping over her spilled vegetables.

"Who are you?" she finally demanded, once she had calmed most of her nerves. In one of her hands, she clutched one of the long nails, and now held it out threateningly. "What do you want?"

An amused chuckle came from behind her and she whirled around in a panic. There's another one! She immediately brought her nail-wielding-hand down at her assailant without a second's thought. The second stranger reacted quickly and grabbed her wrist, successfully preventing himself from being stabbed.

"Relax, Hikari-chan," he said softly, seeing the girl's frightened eyes. "We're not here to hurt you."

Recognizing both his voice and his face, Hikari gasped, her frightened gaze turning to one of utter shock. She let the nail drop from her hands as the auburn-haired man released her wrist, and she immediately threw her arms around him.

"Papa!"

The man smiled slightly, patting her awkwardly on the head as she continued to embrace him. Feeling his hand on her head, Hikari suddenly stiffened in realization and drew back, bowing deeply.

"I'm sorry," she stammered, having momentarily forgotten how her father preferred the more formal greeting as opposed to the emotional embrace. However, she couldn't help but grin excitedly. Her father was finally home!

Her thoughts were interrupted by a groan. Hikari's eyes widened again, and she withdrew from her bowing position to aid the stranger she had so violently fallen before.

"Oji-san!" she exclaimed as she slung his arm over her shoulder. "I'm so sorry! I-I didn't know…I mean, I didn't know it was you until I saw Papa and then I knew it was you but I didn't know then because I thought you were a stranger and—"

"Relax, _gaki_." The injured stranger stood up unsteadily, causing him to displace his hood and reveal a face that Hikari could only recognize as her uncle's. "It was my fault. Shouldn't have caught you from behind." He released his arm from the girl's shoulders and smiled ruefully at her, rubbing his bruised stomach. "You sure do have a mean elbow, though."

"Yeah, well, be glad that it was just an elbow and not the nail," the other stranger spoke up, holding up the nail that, only a few minutes earlier, was aimed right at his heart.

Hikari flushed and bowed both an apology and greeting at her uncle, who waved it off.

"Forget it. Besides," He ran a hand through his dark blue hair, eyes crinkling mischievously. "I think the more important question is…why does _he_ get a hug—" Her uncle jerked his thumb at the other man, "—and _I_ don't?"

In answer to his question, the eleven-year-old threw herself at the blue-haired man, laughing as she wrapped small arms around him. Behind them, the long-haired man simply shook his head and looked up as another boom of thunder was heard overhead.

"Hikari, Cale," he addressed, bending down to pick up a fallen potato. "Let's get back before this gets any worse."

Hikari released her uncle and nodded, also bending down to pick up the fallen vegetables. Together, the trio finished picking the fallen food and hurried back to the cottage, the rain continuing to pelt them as they ran. Within a few minutes, they had reached the front door. Cale tentatively pushed the wooden barrier open, allowing Hikari to rush inside and disappear into the dark kitchen, slipping her mud-caked sandals off in an instant before stepping into the room. They could hear her rummaging around as they shrugged off their own wet cloaks and geta.

"Hikari?" Anubis called out.

"Coming!" was her reply. Anubis looked at Cale, who shrugged. Now barefoot, the two men stepped onto the matted floors.

"_Tadaima_," the two murmured simultaneously, as was custom to do after returning home. Before they could take a step further, a figure appeared before them, shrouded in soft light. As the light drew closer, they recognized Hikari, her hands holding up a small gas lamp that emanated a soft light.

She walked up to them, her hair and clothes still dripping. Smiling broadly, she bowed to them deeply, happily.

"_Okaeri_," she said softly, trying to blink through the rain droplets that clung to her dark hair and fell down her face. She straightened, her smile widening as she caught sight of both of her uncle's and father's own happy grins.

"Welcome home."

**-- OOOOOOOOOO --**

It had been only a few minutes since their homecoming, but the tiny cottage was already bursting with activity—or at least, with the activities of a very excited young girl.

After having tended to the hearth in the main sitting room, Hikari ushered both her father and uncle to the bedroom, begging them to change into dryer clothes before risking the chance of catching a cold. She herself then disappeared into the kitchen where she hurriedly put out water to boil. She retrieved a few of the vegetables that had been saved, as well as a few fish, and proceeded to grill them. She hadn't gotten very far when Cale strode into the kitchen, shaking his head at the girl, who was still clothed in her very damp yukata.

"You. Change. _Now_." He pointed to the direction of her bedroom, scowling. Properly scolded, she ducked her head in embarrassment and ran to her bedroom, disappearing behind the folding screens to change. Anubis, who was just about to walk out of his own bedroom, watched her disappear behind the screen. The corners of his mouth tugged into a hint of a smile as the girl mumbled various comments on the wetness of her yukata. He walked down the short hallway to retrieve a towel from a stack in the shelf. Returning to the room, he tossed the towel behind the folding screens, shaking his head as she let out a surprised sound.

"Thank you!" she finally called out, happily.

Anubis grunted in response and moved to exit the room. As he passed the doorway, his eyes caught sight of something, and he paused by the door to observe. He absently traced the small marks indented on the doorframe, mouth suddenly turning into a slight frown. Behind him, Hikari—who had now changed into a new, dry yukata—stared at her father, head bent over as she towel-dried her wet hair. Outside, the storm still raged, as confirmed by the howling winds that continued to rattle the shutters of the bedroom window. However, the rain was not as rough as before, and had quieted to a muffled patter on the roof.

As her father continued to trace the numerous marks, Hikari came closer.

"I've been marking the days," she said softly. She lifted a slender arm to trace the last mark she had carved. "It's been nearly twenty-six days."

"That long, hm?" Anubis retracted his hand, green eyes suddenly thoughtful. Hikari nodded and turned to hang the towel on a nearby post.

"I…I hope all went well…in the West." She formed her words carefully, hesitant. Anubis stiffened a little upon hearing her mention about the 'West,' but recovered quickly.

"Yes," he said, matching her soft tone. "As well as can be expected."

Hikari's hands were on her back as she pulled her unruly, wavy hair into a loose braid. Her eyes lit up with relief at his answer.

"I'm glad," she said, with a smile. "It wasn't much trouble, was it? You were gone for so long that I started to believe that it may have been serious—"

The red-haired young man shook his head.

"No, no," he said, cutting her off. "Nothing too serious." He paused, and Hikari, having finished braiding her hair, waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she looked at him, a question in her eyes.

"Papa—" she started. She was interrupted yet again by her uncle, who poked his head into the room.

"Tea's ready," he reminded, smiling at Hikari. "And the fish are about done, I think."

The young girl returned his smile and headed for the doorway. She passed her father, who nodded at her briefly, but was still quiet. She nodded back, but her eyes were puzzled, even as she exited the room.

Cale watched her leave, then turned his glance to his companion, whose face was now drawn into seriousness.

"What happened?" he asked, surprised by the hasty mood change.

"Nothing," Anubis said curtly, moving to exit the room. He pushed past the blue-haired warlord, who grunted in offense.

"You don't have to take a tone, I was just asking—"

"It's nothing," the red-haired man snapped. He lowered his voice. "We'll talk later."

"Don't give me this 'later' crap, Anubis." Cale scowled at his direction, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm not an idiot. But _you're_ an idiot if you thought that we could disappear for almost a month and not have her suspect that anything happened!"

He hit it right on the head. In the nearly thirteen years that they had been raising Hikari together, Anubis could never figure out how Cale always knew what was going on, but for this case, he suspected that Cale had simply been eavesdropping the whole time.

Anubis turned around, eyes flashing in annoyance.

"If you are as knowledgeable as you claim to be, then why do you insist on wasting my time with questions to which you already know the answers?"

"I was just trying to give you the opportunity to be honest for once!" Cale's scowl deepened. "Not once have you ever been truthful, to me _or_ to her. I don't even know why I bother with such a stubborn bastard as you—"

"Supper!" Hikari's voice rang clear from the kitchen. Cale closed his mouth abruptly, suddenly aware of how loud their argument had become. The two men stared at each other sullenly, silently, for a few seconds. Anubis was the one to finally avert his gaze and turn his back to Cale, resuming his trip to the kitchen. Watching the warlord of cruelty leave, Cale let out a soft sigh and glanced again at the rough marks that had been carved on the doorway.

_A month_, he thought somewhat sadly. They had worried her for a whole month. Hikari was sure to have questions for both of them. Only her disciplined nature prevented her from demanding them. And she _deserves_ answers, Cale continued to think as he traced over the marks with a finger. It was only right. And yet…a small part of his mind could not help but agree with Anubis.

They had raised Hikari amidst a world of lies and deception. Everyday was a battle to hide any and what truth that would hurt her—and surprisingly, she had thrived, despite the lies, and had now blossomed into a beautiful, intelligent young girl. It was a world that both men had created for Hikari; a world of pretend, in order to protect her. But the more they lived in that world, the more they became a part of it. Pretending, lying, hiding…it all became second nature to both of them. And both were confident that they had it under control—that is, until a month ago.

Talpa's final plans had gone through, and he had called his warlords to take care of the final preparations for his descent to the mortal realm, to Earth. With Talpa's summoning, both Anubis and Cale were pulled from their world of pretend into the world of reality. As they struggled to find yet another story, another lie, to explain their pending disappearance, the two men suddenly realized that they had run out of both. The lies had gone too far, the deception too deep, and Hikari had now become suspicious. But when had it gotten so out of hand?

Why did the lies stop working?

"Oji-san?" The girl's quiet voice interrupted his thoughts and made him turn to face her. Her face was neutral and passive, but her grey-brown eyes were troubled. Clearly, she had heard the argument, and it was now worrying her. Cale forced a smile and went up to her, resting the palm of his hand fondly on the crown of her head. She was still rather short for her age, and Cale towered over her easily. Resting his hand on her head was his way of teasing her about her height.

Hikari, well-versed in his ways, swatted at his arm, but could not help but grin.

"Let's go eat," he told her, dark eyes smiling. The girl nodded, already heading toward the kitchen. Cale watched her retreating figure for a few seconds and sighed again. _It's not right_, he thought, as he finally resumed his walk to the kitchen. From the table, he rested his gaze on Anubis, who was already sitting. The red-haired warlord had been silently sipping a bowl of miso soup, but had directed his gaze to Cale the moment he entered the room. Anubis was obviously still brooding about the situation, but managed to force out a cheerful smile, which Cale immediately returned—more pretending.

_It's just not right at all._**A/N:** Hi everyone. I just wanted to use the rest of this space to address some questions that came up for this chapter. Without further ado, let's begin:

**1. What are Anubis and Cale doing on Earth, anyway? Aren't they supposed to be with Talpa? Won't Talpa get suspicious?**

Talpa has been planning an invasion of the mortal realm for some time now. However, in order to make sure that his plans go well, he sends his four warlords to Earth to act as his spies. They are required to report to him from time to time about any developments that come up that might ruin his plans for invasion. Anubis and Cale utilize this time to take care of and raise Hikari. Also note that time passes much more slowly in the Netherworld than on Earth. So, while Anubis and Cale are on Earth for 13 years, this is probably equivalent to just one year in the Netherworld (**1 Earth year** -equals- **1 Netherworld month**). As for Talpa being suspicious, I'm very much willing to bet that he trusts his warlords and knows that they are loyal to him. This is quite apparent in the TV series, since he seems to give his warlords much freedom in how they deal with the Ronins. This gives me the impression that he trusts his warlords to get the job done and not stray from their duties.

**2. Is it me, or does this chapter seem longer than before?**

Yes, it is longer. I originally thought that the first half would work well as just one chapter. However, as I continued with chapter two, I realized that there were parts in the 2nd chapter that would work better if placed in the first chapter. So I did just that, and now it's twice as long as it was before, hehe.

That's about it. Let me know if you're having trouble with the Japanese phrases in this chapter. If so, I'll be glad to post an addendum to this with the translations of the terms. Thanks, and happy reading!


	4. Chapter 2: Arguments

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle In the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Chapter II --  
**_Arguments_

Supper came and went without any more incident. Conversation during the meal was unusually terse, but still managed to flow as Hikari went into a discussion of a recent essay she had found and read in her father's library. Cale did his best to look interested; books and essays weren't exactly his cup of tea. Anubis, however, listened intently and even asked a few questions regarding some of the issues mentioned in the said essay, which she answered with delight.

As evening waned and the meal ended, Cale helped clear the table, bringing the dishes back to Hikari, whose arms were buried in the water bin that she used as a sink.

"Want any help?" offered the blue-haired warlord as he set the soiled dishes in a pile beside her. The young girl looked up from her scrubbing and shook her head, smiling.

"Thanks, Oji-san. I'm fine." She turned to face the window across from her, noticing how quiet it had become. "I think the rain has stopped."

Even as she spoke, her uncle reached over to open the shutters that shielded the window from view. The rain had indeed stopped. Darkness had mostly fallen over the landscape, but the sky had cleared and a full moon now illuminated the dark void with its silver light, adding glisten to the raindrops that still hung heavy on the trees and other fauna. Peering through the darkness, Cale made out the form of Anubis, who was already outside surveying the damage that had been rendered by the powerful, but brief, storm. Hikari followed her uncle's gaze.

"Is that Papa outside?" she asked. The blue-haired man nodded, absently setting the bowl he was holding down next to the pile of dishes. Pausing only to slip bare feet into a pair of rough slippers, the warlord of darkness ventured outside toward Anubis.

The auburn-haired warlord had just rested a palm against the trunk of the gnarled willow when he sensed Cale coming up behind him. Biting back a tired sigh, knowing well that Cale wanted to finish the conversation from earlier, Anubis raised his eyes to the sky.

"Don't start this again, Cale." The warlord's voice was tinged with weariness, but he kept his tone soft, not permitting himself to make the mistake of allowing Hikari to hear them again. Cale didn't bother to hide his frustration, and sighed impatiently.

"We can't keep running away from this, Anubis. You can't keep leaving and telling Hikari not to follow." Cale began to pace. "She…she _deserves_ better than that."

"And _what_ exactly does she deserve?" Anubis scowled into the night, eyes still at the star-lit sky. "Pray tell, oh great uncle, since you obviously seem to know more than me regarding this matter."

"She _deserves_ to be told!" Cale snapped, obviously irked by Anubis' sarcasm. "Can't you see that this is torture for her? She has had nobody but us for companionship. We've kept her locked away in this god-forsaken forest all her life. We are her only family. She has nothing else!" Cale stopped his angry pacing long enough to draw a breath. He turned to look at Anubis, but it was impossible to tell what he was thinking since the dark hid much of his face. "We can't be careless about this, Anubis. That girl inside that house _loves_ you. To abandon her just like…like some kind of toy that we've overgrown…" He bit his lip. "…It's not right."

There was a long pause. Then, to Cale's astonishment, Anubis started to chuckle. The blue-haired warlord tensed, hands bunching to form small fists as Anubis continued to laugh softly.

"I'm glad that you found my tirade amusing," Cale finally growled as the chuckles started to die out.

"I didn't know that you had become so soft," countered Anubis.

"Soft?!" The warlord sputtered indignantly. "How dare—softness has nothing to do with it!"

"Alright then." Anubis finally tore his gaze away from the sky and turned to face his companion before he could speak again. "You propose that I tell Hikari the truth—about us leaving. Fine. Then you assume that after all this is said and done, she will be comforted and happy. She'll even give us her blessing as we leave. No, let me finish!" Anubis glared at Cale as he opened his mouth to give reply.

"I'm going to tell you right now that I will do no such thing. She is perfectly capable of taking care of herself and dealing with our disappearances, however numerous and mysterious as they are. And she will continue to be safe, as long as she stays within the boundaries of this house." His voice began to rise, echoing the passion behind his decision. "I do _not_ want Hikari involved in this mess. What she does not know will not hurt her. _That_ is my final say in this!"

"A coward's answer!" Cale spat. "I see that you continue to maintain that ignorance is indeed 'bliss,' even when it comes to her. But you also forget that Hikari is _not_ ignorant! The more you hide from her, the more you hurt her all the more!"

Anubis suddenly gripped Cale by the collar of his tunic and threw him against the trunk of the tree. The force of the throw was not strong enough to hurt him, but Anubis continued to press him firmly against the hard wood, not allowing Cale to escape his grip. Breathing heavily, the red-haired warlord then put his face close to Cale's until they were merely inches apart.

"Do you think I make these decisions to hurt Hikari?" Anubis asked softly, dangerously to his companion. When Cale didn't answer, he shoved the warlord into the tree once more, then let go. He turned his back disgustedly to him. "Talpa has planned this invasion for _years_. This is not merely one battle that he's calling us to; it's a whole god-cursed war. And while these mortals are no match to Talpa's power, they are stubborn. They will put up a fight. And we will sustain casualties, like it or not." He smiled bitterly. "Need I remind you that we've given our lives to serving our Lord Talpa. Even _I'm_ not stupid enough to assume that I will come out of this war unscathed. Or alive."

He paused, turning his eyes to the sky again. The moon had risen even higher by that time, its light almost drowning out the lights of the stars that surrounded it.

"I don't want her to assume the same," Anubis finally said, voice so soft that Cale barely heard it over the din of chirping crickets. "We do her no good, giving her assumptions, allowing her to expect that we will return to her same as always. I won't feed her any false hopes of return, when the possibility of death is so high." As Anubis spoke, his shoulders drooped slightly, and a soft melancholy tinged his voice. "_That_ is something she at least deserves."

He glanced up once more at the sky, at the bright moon shining overhead, and walked away, shoulders still drooped. Cale watched his retreating figure sullenly, rubbing his slightly bruised shoulder. _Gods curse it_, he thought furiously. _The bastard was in the right the whole time._

A cool hand pressed gently on the bruised shoulder.

"Is Papa leaving again?" Hikari asked softly, eyes trained on the retreating figure of her father as Cale turned around in a panic.

"How much did you hear?" The warlord demanded, his hand still massaging said shoulder. The girl turned to look at him, and Cale was startled to see that they had filled with tears.

"I didn't hear anything," she said truthfully. "I only saw." The tears spilled from her eyes and down her face, and she fought to wipe them away from her face. However, they were fast-coming.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered, giving up and turning her face away from her uncle. "It's just…I don't like it…when you two fight."

It was Cale's turn to bring his gaze up to the sky. A quiet moment settled between them, broken only by the girl's occasional sniffles. "I don't like it, either," he finally murmured. Beside him, the girl hiccupped back a sob, and he slung an arm around her shoulders gently.

"Come. Enough of that," he admonished, not unkindly. He softened his tone. "It's late. We'd best take to bed."

The girl could only nod. Turning around, her uncle's arm still wrapped comfortingly around her, the two made their way back to the cottage.

**-- OOOOOOOOOO --**

It was several hours past midnight when Anubis finally returned to the cottage. The young warlord shed mud-caked sandals on the doorstep before entering the dark, silent household. Pale moonlight peeked in from open windows, giving him enough light to see where he was going. Silently padding down the hallway, he paused as he neared Hikari's bedroom, one hand on the doorframe as he stuck his head through the doorway.

Hikari lay on her pallet, face relaxed into peacefulness, dark curls framing her face as she slept. A candle stub lay less than a foot away from her, the wick still smoking from a flame that had just recently died out. The girl had always been afraid of the dark and would not sleep without the comfort of a candle lit beside her. Anubis felt himself giving way to a smile at the memory.

As if sensing Anubis' amusement, the girl murmured something unintelligible, twisting her body slightly at an angle. _She's probably dreaming_, he thought, his gaze never leaving her. Very often had he watched her sleep like this. He would always envy her peaceful face, the way she slipped into unconsciousness so easily, as if she had not a worry in the world.

A rush of emotions fought to overcome him just then. The warlord tightened his grip on the doorframe, swallowing a lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. He was startled to find himself struggling against a rush of tears that filled his eyes. Somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, a voice whispered that this may well be one of the last times he would be able to see her like this. It was a foreboding feeling, one that the warlord quickly banished from his thoughts.

Having conquered the onslaught of tears that had threatened to fall only moments ago, the young man took a deep, calming breath. The two were to leave tomorrow, as per Talpa's orders. One day was all they had for the girl, a day that had been spent mostly arguing with Cale. Sighing quietly, Anubis once more rested his gaze to the girl.

_I'm sorry_, he apologized silently. The tears had come back, and he fought them once more. _I'm so sorry…Hikari…_

There was nothing more he could do, nothing more he could give to her. Legs giving way, the young warlord slowly fell to his knees. He would keep vigil on her until morning.

From the end of the hallway, Cale watched silently as Anubis knelt by the doorway, with all intent to keep watch over the girl through the night. Even in the dark, he could see a trail of tears slowly trickle down his companion's face. Cale gave no second thought to them, for he was crying, too.

* * *

**A/N:** For those who felt like they missed something after reading this chapter, please reread Chapter 1; I updated it about a week ago.

I'm a bit slow with the writing these days, so please bear with me. I can't wait until things start picking up! I know that sounds awkward coming from the author, since it's mostly readers that can't wait for the story to get going. :) Hopefully the prospect of a Ronin appearance will motivate me enough to get more chapters up and rolling. ;) Also, thank you for the reviews, as always. I look forward to receiving more.


	5. Chapter 3: Sudden Goodbye

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle In the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Chapter III --  
**_Sudden Goodbye_

She was standing alone in the kitchen. Sunlight filtered in through the rough curtains that covered the windows, making soft patterns on the smooth wooden floor. On the nearby counter, a single candle rested, its small flame wavering slightly. She eyed the flame with mild interest, then stared at the sunlit patterns on the floor for a few seconds, allowing her mind to drift aimlessly before realizing that was holding a spoon with her right hand. Puzzled as to why she was holding a spoon in the first place, she allowed for her gaze to fall on the lit stove. A pot hung a few inches from the dancing flames, its contents steaming and filling the air with a sweet, delicious aroma.

Shaking her head and smiling slightly at her absent-mindedness, she dipped the spoon into the liquid and gently stirred the broth. Now she remembered: both her father and uncle would soon be returning and she wanted to have their meal ready for them by the time they came back. Humming softly to herself, she added a few greens to the boiling mixture, excitedly anticipating their return. As she was about to bring the spoon to her mouth to test the flavor of the broth, a cool draft of air suddenly pushed past her ankles. Blinking, she turned just in time to see the candle's flame die out, leaving behind only a thin wisp of smoke that curled upwards toward the ceiling. The muffled creak of the front door opening gave her the explanation for the draft of wind that had come into the kitchen so suddenly.

Realizing that her father was finally home, she dropped her spoon and walked quickly out of the small doorway that led into the kitchen. She continued down the short hallway leading to the entrance of the house, and called out eagerly:

"Papa?"

As she had guessed, the front door was wide open. However, neither her father nor her uncle was in sight. Puzzled, she continued to walk toward the front door until she was standing in the doorway. Once she had reached it, she stopped. On her feet there lay a single wisteria blossom, its violet petals easily attracting her attention. She loved wisteria. She bent down to pick up the blossom, then stood again, peering into the distance.

"Oji-sama?" she called out. "Papa?"

There was no returning answer to her calls. She stepped out through the doorway, and peered out again. This time, she saw a figure walking slowly away from her in the distance. Although she could not quite discern his identity because he was so far, the figure was quite familiar to her eyes.

"Papa!" she shouted in recognition. "Papa, wait for me!"

Upon hearing her voice, the figure stopped and turned slightly. Relief filled her: he was going to wait for her. She made to run towards her father--and found that she couldn't move her legs. Eyes widening in surprise, she urged for her muscles to move. However, her legs remained frozen in place. She tried harder, willing against all reason, screaming for her mind to make her legs move, _move!_

She was soon exhausted from her efforts and was looking up to call to her father for help when dread seized her: the figure in the distance had turned his back to her and was walking away again.

"No, papa!" she cried, resuming her efforts to unfreeze her legs. "Papa, my legs won't move! Papa, wait for me!"

Her father gave no heed to her cries and continued to walk away, his figure becoming smaller in the distance. Tears filled her eyes as her thoughts swirled in turmoil: why wasn't he listening to her? Why wouldn't he wait?

"Papa, don't leave me here!" she half-screamed, half-sobbed. Only silence met her cries: at last, his figure had disappeared completely from sight. Staring horrified at where her father had once been standing, she trembled, then screamed again, her voice riddled with pain:

"PAPA!!"

Hikari opened her eyes wide, breathing heavily. The images of her dream faded quickly from her mind and were replaced by the comforting view of her bedroom. She sat up slowly, her hands grasping her blanket tightly, as if to convince herself that she was awake. Muffled sunlight streamed through the thin shades of her window, illuminating her bedroom with soft light. Rising from her pallet, she walked toward the window and opened it. The view of the forest, green and lush, materialized immediately before her eyes, while her ears filled with the musical cries of birds as they enjoyed their morning meal. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, trying to calm her tense body.

"_Daijoubu_," she murmured softly to herself. "It's all right…It was merely a dream, nothing more." As she said this, she opened her eyes and sighed as she gazed at the view before her. The sky was a clear blue, bearing no traces of the violent storm that had passed by just yesterday. It was going to be a beautiful day.

Turning away from the window, she bent slightly to retrieve her robe that lay neatly folded beside her pallet, and froze. She was staring at her bedside candle that had burned out, as it had always done so through the night. However, that wasn't what had caught her attention: next to the puddle of melted wax lay a single wisteria blossom, its lavender petals slightly wilted.

"No," she whispered, her eyes widening. "No, he can't be…"

Leaving her robe by the unmade pallet, she burst out of her bedroom and into the next room: her father's room.

"Papa?" The room was empty. Quickly ducking back out, she poked her head into her uncle's room and found that it, too, was empty.

"Papa! Papa _doko_?" Slight panic filled her as she found both the kitchen and dining room empty, but she forced herself to keep some sense of calm, even as the realization hit her: she was the only person in the house.

Her search finally took her to the front door. She stared at it and saw that it was unlocked. Panting from her search efforts as well as her increasing panic, she quickly opened the heavy door and rushed out into the sunshine. The vast emptiness of the forest met her. Shielding her eyes from the bright sunlight, she stared into the distance, but found no figure walking away. In fact, she didn't see anyone at all.

"Papa!" she yelled, her voice already hoarse. "Oji-san!"

Her voice echoed through the forest, but there was no answering cry. She was alone. Tears filled her eyes. No, they couldn't have left without her…Papa couldn't have left her without telling her, would he?

_Would he?_

"No," she choked, tears finally spilling down her cheeks. No, he wouldn't do that. She knew he wouldn't do that.

Pushing the thoughts from her mind, she resumed her run. It was almost like her dream. Her legs, at least, weren't frozen. She wasn't sure how long she ran, but it seemed only moments when she found herself at the river's edge. This was the last and only place she could think of that her father or uncle could possibly be. It was also the farthest away from her home that she had ever been. As she stood gasping for breath, her ankles submerged in the cool water, her heart sank. There was nobody in sight.

"Papa," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Oji-san…"

A cool breeze swept past her as she broke into fresh tears. They had left her. They had abandoned her, leaving her to live in the forest alone. They had deserted her, not bothering to tell her where they were going, or why, or when they would return…

"Papa, don't leave me here!" she screamed, sobbing, into the still morning air. Her cries echoed once again into the emptiness of the forest. "Come back!"

Again, there was no returning answer. He was beyond her cries. Hikari continued to stand in the river, eyes red from crying as she stared at the forest that lay across the river. Her father had forbidden her to set foot across the river, and she had obeyed him always…or at least, up to this moment.

Fists clenched and tearful gaze determined, she lifted her leg to take the forbidden step forward—and was swiftly grabbed from behind.

With a gasp of surprise, she twisted her face around to see who her assailant was and screamed in horror. The stranger was clad in brown and black armor, his faceplate shaped into the grotesque form of a wild dog. Frightened, she flailed wildly against the stranger's hold and screamed again.

"Hush!" The stranger's voice was stern and yet very familiar. Hikari immediately became quiet as recognition finally hit her.

"Oji-san?" she whispered in horror. At this, the stranger released his hold on her and put her down gently. Shock overcoming her, she crumpled to the forest floor, staring wide-eyed at the armored figure who was now apparently helmet-less. The face of her uncle now stared seriously, sadly at her.

"Hikari," he started in a soft voice. He didn't finish. The girl had recovered quickly and had thrown herself at him, despite his armor, and was now sobbing on his chest.

"Oji-san," she sobbed. "Oji-san, I'm so glad…I thought you had left me. I'm so glad you're still here."

Her words were like daggers to his heart and he forced himself to push her away from him. Hikari immediately looked up, her grey eyes confused, as her uncle backed away from her.

"Oji-san," she whispered, taking one step forward.

"No, Hikari," he answered firmly, his voice shaking only slightly. His face had turned serious. "Hikari, you were not supposed to cross the river. Your father told you never to cross the river!"

"I'm sorry." Hikari's face was mournful and she glanced down. "I…I just thought Papa would be on the other side—"

"Well, he isn't," her uncle snapped. "Your father can take care of himself; you didn't need to look for him."

"I'm sorry," the girl repeated, hurt by the tone of her uncle's voice. Her head declined even further. "I won't…do it again."

Her uncle drew in a breath, his face softening. This wasn't her fault. Lifting an armored hand, he tilted her chin up so that her eyes met with his.

"Forgive me," he murmured. "I didn't mean to raise my voice." He bowed so that he could hide his eyes from her. He couldn't even look at her properly for long, knowing what he had to do. The girl stared at her uncle, eyes mirroring both confusion and growing awareness. She clasped her small hands over his red and brown gauntlets, trying to swallow the lump that had grown in her throat. The metal was cold to her touch, and she shuddered inwardly, not liking the armor at all.

"Oji-san…I don't understand…"

Cale shook his head slightly, raising it to look at her again. Slowly he removed his hands from her. Hikari watched him move away from her, feeling the lump in her throat grow.

"Hikari, you must listen very hard to what I am going to tell you," the warlord told her seriously in a quiet voice. "I cannot tell you again, and you must not ask any questions. But it is important that you listen and that you know." He cocked his head slightly, fixing her with a steady gaze. "Will you do that for me?"

The girl looked up at her uncle. She clenched her fists, already knowing that she was not going to like what she was going to hear, but she forced herself to nod meekly. Her uncle rewarded her with a small, weary smile that broke the seriousness of his face. Stepping back, he straightened his body, armor clanking as he did so. Hikari stared at the armor, eyes taking in the brown chest plate that had been affixed with black horns, the red and brown greaves that covered his legs protectively, and the short black gorget that only partially enclosed his neck. Her uncle followed her gaze and grimaced slightly.

"Armor," he explained as she continued to stare. The girl's mouth twisted into an almost sardonic smile, as if to say to him, _I know_.

If he read her thoughts or not, he didn't show it. Instead, he turned westward, looking to the distance, one arm still clutching the abandoned helm.

"There is trouble in the West, Hikari," he said softly, eyes sad. "Your father," he fought to hide the disdain in his voice at the mention of Anubis, "has gone ahead to make sure that nothing goes out of hand. I must follow him."

He turned to look at the girl. Her face, although pale, otherwise showed no reaction to what he had just told her. He sighed and knelt before her.

"It is very serious," he murmured. "There will be…" he paused, trying to choose his words carefully. "There will be battles, many battles. Both your father and I will be fighting hard. I don't know how long we will be fighting, or when we will be able to return." _Or __**if**__ we'll be able to return_, Cale thought silently to himself.

Hikari could feel her balled fists trembling in anger and confusion. Before she could stop herself, the question was out of her mouth.

"Why?" she demanded. Her mouth continued to move. "All these battles, this fighting…for what reason? Why must you fight? What is your purpose?"

The blue-haired warlord sighed again. He held the girl's trembling hands, trying to keep them still.

"You need to be strong, Hikari," he told her, not answering her question on purpose. "Hard times are coming, and it will be difficult for us all. I need you—your father and I need you—to stay here. You will be safe, as long as you do not stray past the river—"

"I don't understand!" the girl shrieked, losing all resolve to stay quiet. She started to weep again, not caring that she had disobeyed her uncle's request for her to stay silent. "I don't want you to go, Oji-san! You'll…you'll get hurt, you'll be—"

"I know how to take care of myself," Cale said firmly. He tightened his hold on the girl's hands. "I cannot tell you any more than this, Hikari. All I can do is ask that you stay here and keep yourself safe." He let go, but the girl clung on.

"Don't go," she whispered. "Don't go, Oji-san…_onegai_…"

Cale stood up stiffly, hardening his heart to her pleas, as much as it anguished him to do so. He reached into one of the pockets in his armor and retrieved a rough necklace made of thin rope. On it hung a small ring, its gold surface catching the rays of the morning sunlight. He slipped the necklace around the neck of the still-crying girl and smiled weakly as she lifted her tear-filled face to look at him.

"A gift," he said, voice wavering. "From us both."

The necklace was inches too big for her and hung around her thin neck loosely. A hand crept up to unconsciously grasp the ring that hung from the rope-necklace. Her eyes, however, were still on her uncle.

"But Oji-san…" she pleaded, stepping forward to follow him. "Papa—"

Her uncle's sad smile wavered. "Do not follow me, _gaki_. Your father and I wish for you to stay here." He started to walk away, slowly, his back turned to her. "I must go now, Hikari."

Arms suddenly encircled his waist. Hikari has once again latched on to her uncle, despite her dislike for the armor he was wearing.

"Hikari—" he started warningly. The girl shook her head wildly, eyes red-rimmed from crying.

"I'm sorry," she whispered haltingly through her tears. "I can't…It's too hard, Oji-san." She swallowed, hardly able to speak. "Papa didn't even say goodbye…and now you…you're leaving…and…and…" She burst into a fresh onslaught of tears, nearly hysterical.

Cale was still, his thoughts in turmoil. _Curse you, Anubis_, he thought fiercely. _Gods curse you with a thousand plagues for leaving your girl in misery!_

Bending down once more, he turned his face close to hers until they were merely inches apart. Hikari's usually lively grey-brown eyes were stricken and desperate. She hiccupped back a sob as she looked into her uncle's own stormy blue irises.

"Oji-san," she said, her voice down to a hush as she clutched his shoulder.

He pulled her into a sudden embrace, holding her tight as if he never wanted to let go.

"I'm sorry, Hikari," he whispered. Hikari wrapped her arms around him just as tightly, feeling the coldness of his armor through her thin robe. However, now, the coldness started to spread deeper. She felt first her legs, then her stomach, and finally her arms grow slowly numb. A cold blanket enveloped her thoughts, cloaking her mind with drowsiness that she could not fight. As eyelids started to droop with sleep, she felt herself being lifted. Arms encircled her protectively as her arms lost complete feeling and fell limp to her sides. Her sight grayed and blurred to nothing. The last thing she heard, before the darkness completely enveloped her, was the soft voice of her uncle, his gentle whisper on her ear:

"Goodbye, Hikari-chan."


	6. Chapter 4: The Light in the Sky

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle In the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Chapter IV --  
**_The Light in the Sky_

_June, 1987  
__Shinjuku, Japan_

He couldn't make a sound.

He couldn't even breathe.

It took all of his strength to placate the slow agony that was threatening to burst out of his throat. Years of discipline had shaped him, molded him, prepared him to confront trials and problems without the excess of emotions that would otherwise cloud rational judgment-making in an undisciplined mind. Years of discipline that now melted away in a single instant.

Sage Date forced himself to look down at the small girl cradled in his arms. The girl was mostly naked, remnants of her clothes hanging uselessly in tatters over her thin body. Her golden hair may have once boasted wavy tresses, but now hung limp in bloody tangles. Her small, oval face was mostly bruised, her left eye already swollen shut, her lips cracked and bleeding sluggishly. And the blood—so much of it—caking her body from the thighs up and pooling into a small puddle underneath her...

Sage's arms were trembling; the girl was cold. Her eyes, a darker violet than his own, stared emptily, blankly. She was already dead.

Discipline would have normally kept him composed, even at such a scene. But this was different. This was not any ordinary girl.

This was Satsuki.

This was his little sister.

The girl had been brutally raped and tortured. They had scratched her lovely face, violated her body in the worst way conceivable, and left her to die in her brother's arms. But it was not the sight of the bruises, or even the blood, that left him trembling in a barely-contained rage. It was how she had looked at him before she died, before she had taken in her final breath, with eyes that gazed hopelessly, despairingly at him.

She, his little sister, who had placed such hope in her brother; she, who had believed in him to rescue her, even as the soldiers ripped the clothes from her body; she, who continued to whisper her brother's name, even as she lay dying on the concrete floor. In her final moments, there had been no hope, no faith in her eyes. There was instead a nothing—a terrifying nothing—that ran ice in his blood and ultimately broke his heart.

_You have failed, Ronin Warrior of Halo._

The whisper was cruel and unforgiving, tearing at his resolve to not give in to his despair. Sage's hold on his sister's form tightened.

_It was your duty to protect them, to protect her..._

The voice was tauntingly familiar. He closed his eyes tight, willing himself to remain calm and see through the deception.

_Why do you continue to resist, Warrior of Halo? You seal her unfortunate fate, and everyone else's, even as you continue to defy me._

Recognition caused him to snap his eyes open. He set his mouth into an angry, stubborn line. A trick, this was a trick. Satsuki was not dead. She couldn't be.

"Do you think that I'm really so brainless to fall for your cheap tricks, Talpa?" Sage demanded, his voice cold with fury.

The air echoed with a mocking growl. His sister's body disappeared, and he suddenly found himself in a dark void. Sage staggered as a sudden onslaught of memories—and pain—overcame him. Bracing himself against the trunk of a Sakura tree that had strangely materialized, he fought a wave of nausea that left him dizzy and weak.

He remembered now. He remembered how his teammates had fallen after Talpa had absorbed the Warlords' armors. He remembered running his _no-datchi_ through Talpa's fist, only to have the sword shatter into pieces from the contact. Talpa, in his fury, had crushed him through the ceramic tiles of the tower roof with an iron fist. The pain had been unbearable. His last recollection was that of Ryo's anguished voice crying out his name as he fell to the earth below.

_I do not subvert myself to cheap tricks, Halo. _The cold voice called him back to the present. _You simply will not admit to the true fate of your kind. Your monk has abandoned you. The Ronin Warriors have failed, and you will now pay for your insolence._

"Lies!" Sage straightened with an effort, bloody fists clenched. "Ryo will not fail. He is stronger than all of us! He _will_ defeat you!"

Laughter once again.

_Open your eyes, Halo! See what is before you. Your leader has given up. He is too weak to fight._

As the words echoed through the still air, the void opened up to highlight the dejected form of Ryo, still in full armor. His shoulders were slumped and he did not move. Sage blinked in shock, his breath suddenly caught in his throat. _No, he couldn't be…_

"Ryo!" Sage's voice was wary of another trick. Ryo's head slowly came up at the sound of his name. Limping, Sage staggered to where Ryo was, finally coming to his knees before his friend. He reached over to clasp Ryo's shoulders, and felt the pit of his stomach drop when his hands came into contact with the red armor. This was no trick. "No…Ryo…"

Ryo's china-blue eyes filled with tears at the sight of Sage, and he raised his own arms to clasp his friend's.

"Sage…Sage, I'm so glad that you're here!"

"No, no…" The warrior of Halo moaned, clenching his jaw in frustration. "Ryo, _no_. You're not supposed to be _here_. You…you were supposed to fight Talpa!"

Ryo's eyes dropped, mouth fidgeting into a sad frown.

"I tried, Sage," he whispered. "I really _tried_. I couldn't do it alone. You know how weak I am—"

"You were _never_ alone, Ryo!" Sage snapped, anger taking a hold of him. "We were always with you! We gave you an opportunity!"

"I couldn't do it!" Ryo's voice was pleading, eyes wild with frustration. "I couldn't sacrifice you. I didn't _want_ to sacrifice you!"

"God dammit, Ryo!" Sage took to his feet. "How could you even think about that? Rowen, Cye, Kento…all of us, all of our _families_—" His voice broke as the image of his dead sister pushed through his thoughts. "They'll be at Talpa's mercy! How could you leave them like that? How could you abandon them?"

"I'm sorry, Sage." The Ronin leader cast regretful eyes downward in humiliation. "I…I couldn't do it. I tried. I really did try…"

A fury, unlike of that before, washed over Sage like cold fire. Ryo had failed, had failed because of his inability to sacrifice his friends to save the world. Their leader had failed them.

_The Wildfire armor is mine. _Talpa's voice was without mercy. _Your leader has given it to me willingly. His weakness has sealed the fate of you and your world._

Sage closed his eyes again, trying to calm himself down without success. _Talpa's lying. Ryo would never let us down. He'll fight no matter what…_

"I'm sorry, Sage," Ryo's whisper cut through his thoughts, flaring up his anger once again.

Sage snapped open his eyes. Satsuki stood in front of him unexpectedly, her blood soaking the ground. He stared at her in horror as she leveled a final gaze at him, her dark violet eyes filled with desperate tears.

"I waited for you, _nii-chan_," she whispered haltingly. There was a painful disappointment in her voice that she couldn't hide. "Why…didn't you come?"

Sage stepped back, her sad voice pulling at his heart painfully, and almost tripped over a prostrate form in dark blue armor. Rowen Hashiba lay sprawled, armor-less on the cold ground, his right arm bent at an awkward angle. His helmet-less head was matted with blood from an ugly wound. Even without touching him, Sage knew that his friend was dead. There was a coldness that surrounded his body, and the realization brought tears to his eyes.

Ryo had stood up and was looking at Sage, Satsuki, and Rowen with regretful eyes. His mouth was open to utter another apology.

But Sage didn't hear Ryo's words. Every apology that came out of the leader's mouth was a slap to his face. A surging hatred filled Sage from head to toe, hatred tinged with deep regret and loathing. How could Ryo give up so easily? How could Ryo have left the world to Talpa's mercy, even after they had sacrificed so much to prevent such a thing from happening at all?

The hatred burned through his body like hot coal. Unsuppressed fury made him unaware of the fact that he was now holding a sword in his hand.

_Your leader is weak._ The voice had once again become unrecognizable and barely over a whisper. _He has failed to recognize your sacrifice. He risks the lives of your friends and family for his own selfish reasons._

Sage's knuckles were a ghastly white as he clutched his sword, pure hatred reflecting from his eyes. Without second thought, without hesitation, Sage swung his arm to grab Ryo viciously by his collar.

_He allowed Satsuki to die._

_Rowen died because of him._

Sage could barely breathe. Ryo clutched Sage's arm, which was clamped heavily at his collar, and desperately called out his name.

"Sage, no! Sage, don't give in! Don't give in to Talpa—"

The words fell on deaf ears. Halo's eyes were cold, white with fury. Ryo stopped struggling and now gazed at his friend sadly.

"Please Sage." His voice was quiet, blue eyes pleading.

Sage fixed Ryo with a cold gaze and raised his arm to deal the killing blow.

It was then that he heard her scream.

Halo blinked, annoyed at the interruption, and she screamed again. The scream was unmistakably feminine, but did not belong to Satsuki. This thought alone distracted Sage enough to let his sword clatter to the ground. He saw Ryo's eyes light up with renewed hope before he disappeared from his grasp.

Replacing Ryo was a girl, barely as tall as his shoulders. She stood a safe distance before him, trembling. Her brown hair was unruly, and she wore a simple linen _yukata_. She gazed at him, her eyes filled with an array of emotions ranging from confusion, to fear, to desperation. Then, to his surprise, she fell to her knees before him, eyes wide with tears as she turned her oval face up to him.

"Please…" she whispered sparingly.

Sage's surprise faded quickly and his face twisted into an ugly scowl.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily. "Where did you hide him?"

The girl blinked back tears, trying to swallow back her fear. Sage was _scary_ when he was angry, and her crying escapade had seemingly only increased his fury.

"I-I didn't hide h-him," she stammered. Realizing that this was not an answer he liked, she quickly corrected herself. "He isn't hiding. H-he's here, with you."

His eyes lit up eagerly—almost hungrily—as she confirmed Ryo's presence. The girl gave a little gasp as he took a step forward, and she clumsily took to her feet.

"If he's here, then why don't I see him?" he asked her, voice dangerously quiet.

"Y-you must calm down!" the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, and she now covered her mouth in horror. Sage stiffened, his eyes starting to darken once again as cold fury washed over him. Before she could even blink, he was suddenly right next to her. She cried out as he grabbed her arm in a vise-like grip and twisted it painfully around her back.

"Calm _down_?" Halo sneered acidly, tightening his hold as she cringed in pain. She was crying again. "Ryo was supposed to stop Talpa. He was supposed to stop Talpa from killing my sister, from killing everyone else!" He pushed his face close to hers as she shrank away. "We gave him a chance! Talpa might have had us, but it didn't mean that we could give up. So we gave Ryo that perfect chance to kill him! We gave it all we had to keep Talpa in place so that Ryo would have the advantage!" Without knowing, Sage's eyes had filled with angry tears. His voice was soaked with bitterness.

"But that…that _bastard_…he wouldn't take it. He won't risk it, he says. The noble son-of-a-bitch gave it up…gave it _all_ up! And now Talpa has his damn armor, he has all of us—he has fucking control of everything, the world!" He was crying, sobbing so hard that he could barely make out the words. "I _hate_ him!!"

His words were like poison. Everything went still, even the girl, with her arm still twisted painfully around her back. Angry and shamed, Halo bowed his head low, despair and fury making his body shake involuntarily. He couldn't stop shaking. There was no hope left, nothing that would stop Talpa from wreaking havoc, from killing anyone who stood in his way. Ryo had been their last hope, and he had given up.

It was her touch that brought him back. He felt her hand on his face, the gentle caress, as she traced the course of his tears that continued to trickle down his cheeks. It was her small hand that lifted his face up so that she could look at him. Tears drizzled like mini-rivers down her own face. Her eyes were sad, sorrowful…but kind.

"Don't hate him," she whispered pleadingly.

There was no pity in her voice, only the same unnerving kindness. Infuriated for no logical reason, Sage flew into a rage and wrenched her straying hand away from his face.

"Shut up!" he screamed. "You can't tell me what to do!"

Tears streamed to no end from the pain he was inflicting on her, but she did not cry out from the hurt. Instead, she leveled her tear-filled gaze at him.

"Please." Her voice barely trembled. "You…_musn't_ hate him."

"I _told_ you to _shut up_!" He shook her hard and threw her to the ground hatefully. She lay in a crumpled heap on the ground, stifling her sobs. He ignored her tears and now towered menacingly over her. "_You_ don't know anything! Talpa will have dominion over our world, he'll kill anyone who stands in his way, all because that…that goddamned pussy decided that he didn't want to hurt his _friends_—"

"Ryo _loves_ you!" she shouted, suddenly gaining courage. Her voice, one empowered by truth, was like a slap to his face. Sage stiffened for the second time that day, rendered speechless at her defiance.

"He loves you," she said again, her voice softer. She looked up at the still-frozen Ronin. "He'll never give up on you, Sage. Ryo…he loves his friends very much."

Her voice was hollow, almost wistful. She braced herself against sore arms and slowly got to her feet.

"It's true," she murmured, "that Talpa has Ryo. But Ryo continues to fight. Talpa…he allows your anger to keep you from seeing the truth. That's why…" she hesitated, "…that's why you can't see Ryo with you now. You hate him so much…" her voice broke.

Sage blinked. It was as if a balloon had deflated. A painful sense of relief, of revelation flooded his senses, and he breathed out slowly and evenly, all fury ebbing away until it was a mere memory. New energy surged into him, as well as painful recognition that Talpa had, once again, managed to trick him.

"You did it." The girl's voice was somewhat awed, but mostly pleased. "You broke through."

And, true to her word, the air around him suddenly became less tense, more clear. His vision became unmistakably sharper, having been clouded by his anger earlier. He now stared aghast at the looming shadow that had suddenly materialized in his line of sight, surrounding Ryo's unconscious armored body, as well as the bodies of his friends. His eyes widened even more as he saw his own seemingly lifeless body, lying only inches from him.

"I'm dead?" he whispered, unbelieving.

"No." The girl's voice startled him. He had nearly forgotten that she was there. "Not really."

The hesitance in her voice almost made him laugh. However, what he heard next cut his chuckle short. The shadow was speaking, the cold menacing voice unmistakably Talpa's.

"How pitiful!" The voice was mocking. "You have sacrificed everything you cared for: your companions, yourself, and your world…and for what? If you are searching for forgiveness, you will not find it here. You have found nothing." The air echoed with cold laughter.

Sage tightened his jaw, feeling familiar anger flare up. However, this anger was not at all hateful or violent; it was a righteous anger. He stared at his prostrate body, willing his fingers to move, feeling utterly helpless. Nothing happened.

"No way!" Ryo's voice was defiant, angry, and tinged with his characteristic stubbornness. His voice made Sage smile in spite of the circumstances. The girl was right again: Ryo would fight Talpa to the bitter end.

"Look!" The shadow pulsed and Sage suddenly saw his own body, as well as Rowen's, Cye's, and Kento's bodies, float higher, closer to the shadow, in full view for Ryo to see. Unfamiliar separate shadows surrounded the Ronins' frozen bodies, cloaking them in a cloud prison. Sage felt his stomach drop uneasily as he realized that his friends were probably under Talpa's spell, just as he himself was earlier.

"Your friends are here," Talpa announced, indicating the four unconscious Ronins to a speechless Ryo. "They are wasting away—"

"No!!" Ryo shouted in fury, enraged at seeing his friends at such a state.

"…wasting away because the hope they had for you was lost," Talpa continued, pleased with Wildfire's angry reaction. "Only their hatred remains for you, surging into me, becoming part of my world!"

"No, no, it can't be!" Ryo's voice faltered, confidence waning. "I was thinking of them, I _swear_ it, I was!"

Talpa laughed again. "Then you made a grave error, didn't you, Ryo of Wildfire? That you will join them now, with your feelings of betrayal and despair, seems most fitting, doesn't it?" Talpa found this hilariously ironic.

Sage could sense, even without seeing him, Ryo's frustration and regret. Ryo was becoming doubtful of himself. It was all the opening that Talpa needed to bring Ryo down, and his despair was driving Sage crazy.

"Don't fall for it, Ryo!" he screamed. "Don't let Talpa get to you!"

But there was no echo: Sage only heard himself. _If Ryo gives up, then we all go down with him. I can't let him do that…I need to help him!_

Halo felt her sudden touch on his arm and looked down. The girl was nearly transparent, a ghost of a figure. Shocked, he grabbed her arm, but it melted in his fingers.

"Don't go!" he pleaded. "Please, I need you to help me!"

She leveled a gaze that was just as desperate as his own.

"Help my Papa," she whispered. She was fading fast. "And oji-san…please help them both!"

"Don't go!" he begged again, eyes wild, ignoring her requests. "You were the only one who could—" But she was gone. He was alone again.

Sage fell to his knees and pounded the ground in frustration.

"_Move,_ dammit!" he screamed, willing with all of his mind for his body to move, _move_!But there was no reaction from his body, not even a twinge from his fingers. For the second time that day, he felt hot tears course down his face, and he pressed his face to the cool ground.

"Ancient One, please," he prayed hoarsely, his energy nearly spent. "Please help me help Ryo. Please give me strength, Ancient One…let me help him…"

And then he heard the most beautiful sound in the world:

"Don't give up!" It was Cye.

"Don't worry about us!" And Rowen.

"Yeah, destroy that maggot, Ryo!" Kento's cheer filled Sage with unspeakable happiness, and he opened his own mouth to speak.

"Ryo!" His voice was so unmistakably clear that he could hardly believe it was his own. "Fight Talpa!"

Sage felt the tension in the atmosphere lift dramatically, much like it did when he had pushed his own anger away and was finally able to see through Talpa's deceit. He felt like whooping for joy. Ryo had heard them!

"Ancient!" Ryo's clear voice rang out in a fervent prayer. "Please help me! Help me to fight Talpa again!"

Ryo's armor suddenly came to life, pulsing and glowing red. Ryo had regained control of his body! However, nothing else happened, and Talpa laughed darkly, seeing no threat.

"How regretful that your mentor has given up, as well," the demon lord mused, not sounding regretful at all. His voice suddenly became cold, commanding. "Give in to your desperation, your darkest thoughts, your loathing. Make my armor even stronger!"

The shadow reached out to surround Ryo's unprotected body. Sage automatically lunged forward with a snarl.

_You need to calm down!_ The girl's voice echoed in his head like a reminder. The Ronin Warrior of light stopped mid-stride, startled. A small part of him wanted to rebel against her words, but it was a very small part. She had helped him before, and she would not lead him wrong now.

It took only seconds for him to return to a calm state. He closed his eyes, even as the shadow nearly engulfed Ryo's body, and instead concentrated on building his own energy. Somehow he knew that he was going to need all the energy he had left to help Ryo with this final fight.

He felt Ryo struggle against Talpa's hold and resisted, once again, the impulse to rush to his leader's help.

_I'm here_. Sage mentally reached out to Ryo. He was not surprised to feel Rowen, Cye, and Kento join him. Their presence brought him comfort.

Ryo must have felt his friends nearby, also, because he turned to them now.

"Rowen," he began. "Sage. Cye. Kento. Please, I need your help once again, my friends. We can't let it end like this!"

His words were like new energy. Feeling renewed, Sage stared fixedly at his still-sleeping body and willed for it to move. There was a slight twitch.

"Fight it!" Ryo urged, feeling them struggle to regain control of their physical bodies. He reached behind his armor and pulled his katanas out in front of him, as if to draw strength from their presence.

"To win, we must have Trust. And Wisdom. And Justice merged with Life Force." As he uttered each virtue, Sage felt more and more new energy course through him. The effect was like a wildfire.

Their leader smiled confidently and raised his sword to the air, voice ringing out triumphantly: "Then I will have the power!"

There was a bright light, brighter than anything he had ever seen. Sage closed his eyes against the fierce brightness and reached out his hand, feeling himself being propelled upward by a mysterious force. "Ryo!"

He felt a hand clasp his outstretched palm. His _real_ palm. Opening his real eyes, he saw Ryo bathed in soft light, and was for once speechless. Ryo smiled at his friend, eyes soft with emotion, but determined.

"Ready, Sage?" Ryo's smile was contagious. "I'll need your help."

As he spoke, the girl's wistful voice rang in Sage's mind once again: _He'll never give up on you, Sage. Ryo…he loves his friends very much._

Sage squeezed Ryo's arm affectionately, grinning.

"Count me in!"

**-- OOOOOOOOOO --**

It was bright, brighter than it had been for a very long time.

With a triumphant roar, the Ronin Warrior of Wildfire pushed the twin flaming katanas forward. From the blades spewed pillars of flame and light that surrounded the demon lord, creating a deadly perimeter of blazing, uncontrollable white fire. Within his confines, Talpa writhed in agony and fury. Another push from the warrior, white armor clanking with resounding finality, and suddenly, just like that—Talpa was gone.

Light from the swords penetrated through the dark skies, reaching down to create an ethereal bridge with the earth. The pillars widened, spreading its healing aura over both the sky and earth. Black clouds melted away to reveal a blue sky that had been absent for weeks, and the sun—hesitantly, at first—now boldly showered its own rays onto the haggard earth for the first time in days.

Miles away, in a tiny cottage surrounded by forest, a young girl gazed resolutely into the quickly-brightening distance. The light had cast its healing effect on her, also: her eyes gleamed hopefully, despite the dark circles that surrounded them. New strength coursed through her body, and resolve rooted itself firmly in her very being. For the first time, she suddenly knew what she had to do.

As the sky grew lighter by the minute, the pillar of light began to weaken and ultimately disappear. No trace of darkness was left in the sky, and the world appeared as if nothing had ever happened. By the time the first rays of sunlight peeked out of her window to cast its first bright shadows on the wooden floor, only the smoldering stub of candle—sitting forlornly on its holder—was there to greet it.

The house was empty, and the girl was gone.

* * *

**A/N:** Didn't I tell you that the Ronins would make an appearance? ;) The dialogue between Ryo, Talpa, and the Ronins (in the final parts of the first section of this chapter) were taken _verbatim_ from Episode 19 of the TV series. Needless to say, it took me quite awhile to transcribe it all into this chapter, but I did it! –thumbs up-

As always, comments and reviews are welcome. I do apologize for the long hiatus…I'll do my best to keep this story going as fast as I can. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this chapter: it was definitely long-coming. :D


	7. Chapter 5: Recovery

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle In the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Chapter V --  
**_Recovery_

_There was a bright column of light, a fluorescent pillar that grew wider by the second. The aura it emanated cast a healing effect on the battle-weary earth: rubble disappeared, destroyed buildings were replaced anew, and the sky…the sky turned _blue. _She could not forget the sky, would always remember the joy she felt on seeing the dark clouds finally dissolve to reveal the sun. Neither would she forget the sight of the boys—_her_ boys—as they settled atop one of the skyscrapers, triumphantly weary smiles on their faces. In their eyes reflected one joyful message: we did it._

_We did it. _

Mia Koji startled herself awake, eyes snapping open at the sudden sound of a screen projector being lowered. Momentarily confused, she allowed her eyes to take in her surroundings, suddenly remembering that she was in the middle of lecture. The professor, a short, dark-haired woman, glanced at her sleepy student with eyebrows slightly raised, even as she continued to lecture.

Chagrined, Mia felt her face redden slightly as she shifted uncomfortably in the gray-cushioned seat, propping an elbow up in the even smaller table that folded out from the lower side of the chair. Resting her chin on one hand, brown eyes blinked drowsily at her professor from three rows away. Two sheets of loose leaf paper lay forgotten on the make-shift desk, containing only a smattering of short sentences and key phrases that had been mentioned during lecture, but that she had already forgotten.

Tired, she was so _tired_…

"—remind you to please be aware of the parallels with the _Odyssey_ that these plays may or may not display. Aeschylus' _Agamemnon_ clearly deals with exactly the same stories about the house of Atreus that we saw peaking out from between the lines in the _Odyssey_…"

The woman's voice echoed in the giant 300-seat lecture hall that, at the moment, was occupied by barely fifty students. Mia bit her lip to stifle a yawn, feeling her lids grow heavy again with drowsiness.

_No, Mia! You need to take these notes!_

Mia blinked rapidly and removed her chin from the hand it was resting on. Five seats away from her, a fellow classmate turned his head slightly to glance at her, eyes reflecting semi-amusement. Mia caught his gaze and reddened. She immediately straightened her back, sighing quietly as her spine protested against the sudden movement.

It had been less than 24 hours since the great battle. Since then, the earth, it seemed, had been regenerating at an amazingly rapid pace. People reappeared, bearing no memory of the sudden invasion or attack. In fact, they continued on as if nothing had ever happened, and Mia—ever practical—went along with the act in hopes to not provoke suspicion. It was good to be busy; after weeks of fighting evil minions with the aid of mystical armor, being a part of the real world again was surprisingly refreshing. Most importantly, keeping busy made the pain of her grandfather's death so much more bearable.

Of course, it didn't help that she hadn't slept for the past 48 hours.

"—and that will be all for today." The professor's voice broke through Mia's thoughts, and the lecture hall suddenly became animated with the sounds of students as they stood from their seats and collected their belongings.

"I've cancelled office hours for this afternoon," the woman continued, raising her voice slightly over the din of the students. "They will be held tomorrow afternoon instead. Have a good evening."

With that finishing tone, she removed her microphone and glanced into the crowd, eyes scanning each face until she found Mia's.

"Ms. Koji!" she called. "A word, please?"

Mia, who had been collecting her own items, stifled a groan as she quickly tucked her notes inside a folder and stuffed it into her small backpack. Praying that she would be spared the embarrassment of being scolded by her professor for sleeping in class, she mutely made her way down the steps and met her teacher with a small respectful bow.

"Dr. Brown, you wanted to speak with me?" Mia spoke the English with ease, her accent nearly flawless. She was fluent in French and Japanese, and nearly so with English. She would always be thankful to her parents for prompting her to learn all three languages, especially since it had proved so useful for her in university.

Dr. Brown smiled hesitantly, sadly at the young woman. She motioned for Mia to follow her out of the hall.

"How are you, Mia?" she finally asked after they were out of earshot of the still many students that idled outside the lecture hall.

Mia paused, searching for words. "Tired," she finally admitted honestly with a rueful smile. "I've been…very busy the past few days."

"I can understand." Dr. Brown's answering smile was still sad. "It was all very sudden, wasn't it? I never thought your grandfather had any heart problems—he seemed like such a healthy man. His heart attack caught us all off guard." She continued on, not noticing Mia's stunned silence. "The funeral arrangements must be keeping you very busy these days, and yet you find time to continue with your classes. I must say, I'm flattered with your steadfast attendance in my class. You're a diligent student, Ms. Koji. Your grandfather would be very proud."

They had reached the humanities building. Dr. Brown paused at the front doors and placed a gentle hand on Mia's shoulder. "I'm sorry for your loss," she said softly. "I know I will miss him very much. We all will."

Mia stared into the eyes of her teacher and could only nod, her throat suddenly paper dry. Her grandfather had died of a…heart attack? Of course that would be the story. Just like how the partially-destroyed skyscrapers downtown had been caused by a 'sudden earthquake.' Or how Talpa's nearly successful invasion of Earth had never really happened.

But none of it was true. Talpa _had _invaded the earth. The skyscrapers had been destroyed by otherworld soldiers, not by a freak earthquake. And her grandfather had died by the hands of Talpa's minions, not by a measly heart attack!

Dr. Brown's hand strayed on her shoulder, eyes suddenly concerned by her student's long silence. "Mia?" she murmured.

Mia fought the whirl of her emotions, concentrating instead on Dr. Brown's voice. When she was finally able to summon a reply, her own voice was a mere whisper. "Yes, Dr. Brown?"

The professor stared at the young woman carefully before speaking again. "Mia…I know that it may be none of my business, but…I think that you should take a break for awhile. Perhaps a week or two, or as long as you need." She searched Mia's face for some response. "It might be good for you, Mia."

Mia had finally found her voice. She forced a shaky smile. "I…appreciate your concern, Dr. Brown. Thank you. I will think about it."

"Please do." The concern on her teacher's voice was almost too painful for Mia to bear. "I'll be happy to extend any deadlines for you. You won't need to worry about a thing, except taking care of yourself and your family, of course."

Mia nodded, dully. "I'll think about it," she heard herself repeating.

Dr. Brown searched her student's face one more time and sighed, retracting her hand from Mia's shoulder. "Alright. Take care of yourself, Mia. And please call me, if you change your mind." Dr. Brown nodded a farewell to her student and was halfway through the doors when she turned her head back to look at Mia. She smiled encouragingly at the young woman. "You'll be alright, Mia. It might be difficult right now, but you'll be alright."

Mia felt the warmth of her words and tried to smile, though not successfully. She felt numb inside. Numb. Angry. Tired. "Thank you."

Dr. Brown nodded once more and disappeared into the building. Mia stared for a few seconds at her retreating figure, unable to move, afraid that if she took even one step, she'd crumble under the unrelenting pain that now gripped her. Memories of her grandfather's violent death that she had fought to remain buried now became painfully clear. That day, Mia and Ryo had rushed to the university in order to get more information about the armors from Dr. Koji. However, they arrived too late to save him from the attack. Her grandfather had been poisoned, his body taken prisoner by a Netherworld spirit. The soldiers responsible were nearby, not bothering to hide their glee as Mia's horrified scream filled the air. Ryo had managed to finish off the minions, but the damage had already been done. As Mia sank to the floor next to her dying grandfather, he urged her with his last breath to use the poem to find the armors.

There hadn't been time for a proper funeral, or even a burial. With Talpa's impending attack heavy in their minds, Ryo had created a rough pyre of wood and placed the body on it to be cremated. He and Mia were the only ones present to pay homage. Yuli had been too upset to attend, and White Blaze had lagged behind to watch over the distraught boy. After the cremation, Mia threw herself entirely into the task of finding the armors, working beyond her limits to make good her promise to her grandfather. Ryo had said nothing about it, but the concern for her in his eyes was hard to miss.

She felt her arm reach for something, and suddenly found that she had walked to the parking lot and to her car without knowing it. With one hand gripping the door handle, she stared at the reflection of herself on the window of her jeep, noting the dark circles around her eyes, the lightly mussed hair, and the too-pale face that stared morosely back at her. She was crying, too. Tears tracked down her face without obstacle, and she hadn't even realized it.

Hands shaking, she pulled out a set of keys from her purse and opened the jeep door, slamming it quickly shut beside her. Hurt and grief radiated from every pore of her body, and she clutched her chest with both arms, trying to stifle violent sobs. She had loved her grandfather, perhaps even more than she realized. It was difficult to imagine life at home without his presence, or going to school knowing that she would no longer be able to see him after lecture. Nobody would ever know that her grandfather had died because of his efforts to save their world. Nobody would at least give him that honor, because nobody knew the truth. And now, nobody ever would.

Tucking her knees in, her forehead leaning against the steering wheel, Mia unfolded her arms and covered her face, letting herself cry.

**-- OOOOOOOOOO --**

"Sage? Sage!"

Satsuki Date folded her elbows inwardly and eyed the serious-faced blonde staring blearily out the open window of their small classroom. When she received no adequate reply, she frowned slightly, forehead wrinkling. Brushing away a few strands of wavy blonde bangs that fell over her eyes, she placed a gentle hand on his unmoving arm. "_Ni-chan_…"

Sage Date gave a start, light-violet eyes becoming unclouded upon her soft touch, and turned his head, blinking at his sister beside him. Catching site of her half-angry, half-puzzled eyes, he ducked his head a little, a tinge of red on his cheeks, and muttered an unintelligible apology under his breath.

Satsuki shook her head somewhat exasperatingly and stood up, pushing the chair sideways as she did. Although she was two years younger than him, Satsuki was only a mere inch away from her brother's height of 5'5, having begun her growth-spurt early. She was also very pretty, with hair a soft, golden blonde much like her brother's, and pale-violet almond-shaped eyes that were often lit up in mirth. In fact, people who didn't know the siblings often mistook them for twins.

"You were off again," she informed him matter-of-factly, smoothing a wrinkle on her navy blue blouse and letting out a tired sigh. "I was waiting for you at the door but you didn't even _notice _that class was over. You were probably like that the entire hour, Sage!"

"_Gomen_," he apologized, lowering his eyes and picking up his own books. Standing up, he asked her, "Did anyone else notice?"

She shrugged, inclining her eyes a little. "I'm not sure about the others, but the _sensei_ sure didn't."

"Thank the gods," he muttered, pushing his chair back and already making his way out. Satsuki stared as he left in his usual silent way, eyes wide with surprise. Then, with a frustrated grunt, she stomped back after him.

"Sage Date, I am surprised with you!" She caught up with him, her face half-angry. "Ever since last week, you've been so _weird_, always going off into your world. All the while, you hardly pay any attention to the lectures and force _me_ to pick up your homework from the teacher when you 'forget' to take it down—"

"I'm sorry," he replied, only half-meaning it, sighing tiredly for the second time that afternoon. A mild headache was already making its presence known. "Look, I appreciate you helping me, Satsuki, but you really don't have to—"

"Don't _have _to?! Sage, do you want to pass this semester or not?" she snapped. Sage winced at her unusually angry tone, but failed to come up with a sensible reply. She sensed his hesitance and took a deep breath, struggling to calm herself. Catching hold of his arm, she forced him to a stop. "_Ni-chan_…what's wrong? You were never like this before." Sage tried to walk away, but she immediately reached out and withheld him. "_Ni-chan_, don't just walk away. Talk to me, please. I'd like to know what's going on…if I can help in any way."

Sage stared at his little sister's determined eyes, unsure of what to tell her. It had been less than a day since the great battle had come to an end and the city had turned back to normal. Sage had followed Mia's practical example and attended school as usual, though he was—admittedly—tired as hell. Memories of Talpa's two week-long invasion had vanished from everyone's minds. Therefore, Sage's present behavior—his unusual weariness and his habit of 'zoning out'—was interpreted by Satsuki and everyone else as one that had been going on for the past 14 days, since they had no other memory of what had _really_ happened. It was a convenient lapse of memory, though it didn't seem as much at the present moment.

"Nothing's going on," he finally told her, surprising even himself by the calmness of his voice. _Damn, I'm good at this_. "It's been a rough week. I've been so busy with kendo club and the history project and…"

"And what?" Satsuki's voice had lost its angry tone and she now regarded Sage patiently with what looked like a mix between a scowl and a concerned frown.

Sage let out a breath. What could he tell her? "And…I've been really stressed, that's all."

Satsuki blinked, disappointed from his short, vague response. "Oh."

Sage, noticing the sad look that had come over her face, forced out a tight smile, trying hard to bite back the annoyed reply that threatened to come out of his mouth on impulse. She _was_ only worried for him after all, and he couldn't really blame her for acting the way she was now.

"Look…Satsuki," he began. "I know I haven't been like me lately…but you don't really have to go through all that just for me. I'll try to keep up with class from now on. I'll learn to handle the stress better, too, okay?"

She pursed her lips and glanced at him levelly. "Alright."

"So you'll stop playing 'mommy'?" Sage asked wearily, running a hand quickly through his blonde hair. He appreciated her concern but, at this point, she was just getting on his nerves. His little sister cocked her head and raised her eyes upward, looking as if she was preparing to make a big decision. Finally, she lowered her head and fixed dark violet eyes straight at him, all seriousness.

"Yes…but only if you promise to start getting back to your normal self. Okay?" She narrowed her eyes just slightly, voice dropping to a murmur. "I know you're hiding something, Sage. You won't tell me about it, and I respect that. Just…don't let it meddle into your regular life too much, ne?"

He raised his eyebrows at her fairly unexpected response, but nodded, a faint smile still on his lips. "I'll try."

She stared at him for a full ten seconds, just to see if he meant it. Unlike most others, she was probably one of the very few people he knew who could stare straight at his eyes and not be intimidated. Giving a short, awkward laugh, Sage waved her away. "I _promise_, Satsuki. Now…go away!"

Her mouth erupted into a sly grin at his half-serious, half-joking response. "Okay, if you _promise_…" She cocked her head to the side as she smiled. "Well, I should be going to track practice now." Turning on her heel, she waved a hand behind her. "See you later, _ni-chan_"

"Later." He watched her for a moment as she disappeared down the hall and shook his head. Had he not been so tired, he would have treated Satsuki less abruptly. He chided himself for that now as he made his way through the rapidly emptying halls of the school. Certainly he was touched by her concern for him; Satsuki actually looked up to her older brother and was affectionate enough when she wasn't being annoyingly carefree. However, he could not forget the terrible vision of her that Talpa had tricked him into seeing. He would never forget how he had almost lost not only her, but his entire family, simply because he had given in to unfathomable anger. It may well have happened, if he hadn't listened to that girl.

_That girl_. Sage furrowed his brow in thought, mouth twisting into a slight frown. That girl had saved him, had allowed him to see past the anger and into hope. Sage could still see her in his mind's eye, her small hands tugging at his arm, pleading with him to save her papa. How was she able to help him break through Talpa's spell? Was her family free, now that Talpa had been sealed back into the Netherworld? And…who was she?

"Sage?" a soft voice interrupted his thoughts. Sage looked up, recognizing the voice with surprise. Mia Koji stared at him, a weak grin decorating her slightly haggard face. Her red jeep was parked only a few feet away.

"Hello, Sage," she greeted, trying to stifle a laugh upon seeing her friend's startled expression. "Thought I might offer you a ride after Kento called me and told me you actually went to school today. I figured you'd be completely worn out by this time." She paused, amused eyes drifting to settle on a girl waving to her at the distance. "By the way…Satsuki seems pretty worried about you."

"She's _always_ worried," Sage informed the young woman, grimacing a little as they made their way toward Mia's jeep. "A little _too _worried, if you ask me."

"You can't blame her. She _is_ your sister, after all," the brown-haired woman shrugged, falling into step with Sage's quick strides. She suddenly paused. "Of course, I didn't even _know_ she was your sister until she told me. She knows who I am, even though I've never met her before! Apparently, I'm one of Yayoi's—was that her name?—friends. You never told me that Yayoi is in med school."

Halo sighed and explained the memory lapse that had occurred as a result of two week-long battle, and how everyone had somehow accommodated to it by forming their own memories at the Ronins' convenience. Mia nodded, listening intently as she started the jeep.

"I figured that was what happened," Mia said softly, glancing briefly at her companion who was now sitting quietly in the passenger seat. She turned her gaze back to the front. "Earlier today, my professor offered me condolences for my grandfather's death. He…apparently died from a 'heart attack'."

Sage turned his head to look at the young woman, noting the sudden bitterness in her tone of voice. She didn't look at him, her eyes intent on the road in front of her.

"I'm sorry, Mia," he finally said, completely sincere. He hadn't been there at the time of Dr. Koji's death—if Ryo had not informed him about it, Sage never would have known at all. Mia was very good at hiding her grief.

Mia nodded ever so slightly, not saying a word. Halo sighed, shifting his gaze to the window and the scenery that whizzed past him. A strangely comfortable silence fell between the two as Mia slowly made her way through busy intersections of downtown and into the more placid streets bordering the outskirts of the city. Mia's quiet presence was comforting, and it felt oddly gratifying just to be able to sit with her, not talking, but just…sitting. Sage smiled faintly, feeling a bit better.

"How are the guys?"

Mia slowed the jeep to a stop as the traffic light overhead blinked from yellow to red. "Ryo's still asleep," she replied casually. Apparently, the silence had likewise improved her mood. "When I last talked to Kento, Rowen had just woken up. Both of them went off to get some food. Cye's gone off to Yamaguchi to check on his mom and sister, but he told Kento that he'd take the next train back tomorrow."

"Oh," was all he said in return. He leaned his chin on a hand, continuing to stare out the window. They were out of the city now, and Mia had maneuvered her jeep onto the familiar dirt road that led to the Koji mansion. It wouldn't be more than ten minutes before they arrived at their destination.

"And you, Mia?" Sage's question was unexpected. "How are you?"

The auburn-haired young woman blinked in surprise, secretly pleased that he would actually ask. "I'm alright…just tired," she repeated the answer she had given to her professor. She hesitated. "My professor, Dr. Brown, offered me a leave of absence. She was kind of concerned, I guess. I'm still not sure if I should take that much time off from school, though. Grandpa…well, he was really into his research, and there's still so much to be done at the library—"

"I agree with Dr. Brown," Sage mused, interrupting his companion gently. He grinned upon seeing her startled expression. "You _should_ take a break, Mia. You need to take care of yourself, after all. I'm sure Dr. Koji would haunt us forever if we let you work yourself to death."

The joke was light, and Mia took no offense to it, using it as an excuse to actually laugh along with her companion.

"Thanks." She turned her head to look at the blonde Ronin, smiling. "I guess I might take her up on the offer, then."

Sage turned to return Mia's smile—but sudden movement caught his eye. He immediately concentrated his attention forward, face drawing into alarm as he caught sight of a blur of a girl running right onto the jeep's path. He yelled, grabbing the steering wheel as Mia snapped her head to the front to see what the commotion was. Within milliseconds, her hands were also on the steering wheel and two feet on the brake pad.

Even their quick actions were not enough to avert disaster. There was a scream—Mia wasn't sure if it came from the girl or herself—and a sickening thud as her jeep seemed to make contact with something solid. Too solid.

Her first thought was of Sage—had he even been wearing a seatbelt?—and she shot her right arm out across from where he would be sitting, hoping to keep him from flying out the window. However, she hardly had time to finish her thought. No sooner had she thrown her arm out, her body lurched back into her seat from the impact, and she slammed into something hard and cold.

Darkness enveloped her, and she knew nothing more.


	8. Chapter 6: Hikari

**Disclaimer:** _Ronin Warriors_ is © to Graz Entertainment & Ocean Studios. _Yoroiden Samurai Troopers_ is © to Sunrise. All characters mentioned within this story--with the exception of original characters of my own making--belong to _them_. Permission is needed to use my characters. This fiction piece is made solely for my own entertainment purposes, as well as for the entertainment of others. I'm not making any money or profit out of this. All rights are reserved. Comments, questions, and constructive criticisms are welcome and can be directed to me at Mishee926(at)gmail(dot)com.

This fiction is rated **PG** for some violent language and mature themes. You have been warned. Please read at your own discretion.

* * *

**Candle In the Night  
**Written by: Mishee

**-- Chapter VI --  
**_Hikari_

It was the headache that woke her, throbbing and unrelenting. She blinked rapidly and turned bleary eyes up at the swirling hues of blue and white above her, later realizing that she was staring at actual sky. It was then that she became aware of the panicked voices that echoed faintly in her ears.

"Oh my god! Mia!"

"Is she alright? Someone call for help!"

"Mia? Mia, wake up!"

"I _am_ awake," she mumbled, though she could barely hear herself. Her eyes roamed until they focused on the two figures bending over her: Sage and Rowen. Their faces instantly glowed with relief, and Mia couldn't help but return a shaky, but relieved, smile of her own.

"Sage…you _were_ wearing a seat belt!"

Rowen melted into laughter as Sage shook his head incredulously.

"You _would_ say that," the Ronin of Halo mused dryly. "At least your head's still intact." As the two Ronins looked down at her once more, Mia became keenly aware that Sage was cradling her head on his lap. Cheeks burning, she attempted to bring herself up to a sitting position, only to fail as jolts of pain raced up her neck and intensified her already bad headache.

"Take it easy," Sage advised, carefully maneuvering his hands to support her head as Rowen helped. "You were out for a little bit. You might have a mild concussion."

_No kidding_, the young woman thought, wincing through another spasm of pain.

"Shouldn't we take her to a doctor or something, just in case?" That was Kento's voice from a distance. He must have been somewhere behind her, since he wasn't in her line of vision.

"No need," Mia said hastily. "I'll be fine." The last thing she needed was to be taken to the hospital. Seeing the two Ronins exchange doubtful glances, she struggled to her feet on her own. Sage voiced alarm and Rowen's arm deftly encircled her shoulders as she swayed unsteadily.

"Yep," the blue-haired youth drawled, grinning widely as he finally steadied her. "She'll be _just_ _fine_."

Mia scowled at his sarcasm, though she was secretly glad that Rowen kept her upright even as her world continued to spin. As she continued to grasp Rowen's wrist for support, her hands closed on something firm and solid, and she noticed for the first time that both he and Sage were clad in their respectable sub armor.

Sage caught her surprised glance and smiled faintly. "I had to use it to get you out of the jeep in time," he explained.

"And to get to the girl before she was hit," Rowen pointed out.

And then it all came back to her: the blur of a girl that ran onto the jeep's path, the scream, and the sudden impact. _Oh my god._ "The girl?!" It felt as if her memory was slowly coming back to her. "Is she okay? I-I didn't hit her, did I?"

"She'll be fine," Kento called out in reply as he walked toward them, arms encircling said girl protectively as she buried her face against the chest plate of his sub armor. "She's just scared, s'all."

Kento couldn't have spoken more truthfully. The girl trembled from head to foot, her thin shoulders heaving as she continued to sob hysterically in Kento's arms.

"Poor thing," Mia murmured, reaching out instinctively to pat the girl's head. Rowen frowned thoughtfully, dark blue eyes appraising the girl for any outward signs of injuries. His gaze landed on the girl's arms, her pale skin easily betraying the bruises that colored her wrists and lower arm, and his frown deepened.

Sage's gaze was also on the girl, his eyes wide with shock and puzzlement. He opened his mouth to say something, but Mia spoke first.

"We need to get home quickly, guys." The young woman was stroking the girl's hair and whispering words of comfort. She turned to her companions, brown eyes reflecting mild concern. "She looks completely spent, and I want to make sure that she doesn't have any injuries. It'll be easier to assess her at home, rather than here."

"Let's get her to the jeep then," Kento suggested, already heading toward the forlorn vehicle in the middle of the road. The young woman looked slightly startled at Kento's revelation.

"The jeep's still running?"

"You guys braked hard before you could hit anything." Rowen's grin returned. "Don't worry, Mia, your jeep's untouched." He gently withdrew from the young woman, pausing long enough to ensure that she could stand on her own before turning to retrieve the fallen bag of groceries that had been abandoned during the rescue. Mia turned to make her way back to the car and stopped before she could take a step. Sage was staring at Kento as he spoke to the still-distraught girl, his mouth set in an anxious frown.

"You okay?" she asked him softly, genuinely worried. The blonde shook his head, all thoughts interrupted as he turned his attention to Mia.

"Yeah, I'm…I'm good." He saw too late that the words weren't enough and smiled ruefully at his companion. "Hey, _I'm_ the one who should be worried, not you! I think I grabbed you too fast and knocked you right into my armor."

"Well, that explains the bump," joked the young woman, one hand instinctively rubbing the part of her head that continued to throb. The Ronin flushed briefly, muttering an apology as Mia shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Sage. I'm just glad that…that you were there," she finished rather lamely.

Kento's cry broke through their awkward moment. "Come on, Sage, let's get going! Ro, you coming or not?"

"Coming!" Sage shook his head, crossing his arms and lifting them to the sky to de-armor. There was a brief glow—Mia blinked—and the armor was gone, leaving Sage in his civilian clothes once more. However, de-armoring had more of an affect on the teen than he had anticipated. Sage had used the last of his own energy to call and banish his sub-armor, and there was nearly nothing left. Mia gave a sudden cry of alarm as Sage staggered and fell. Rowen was there in an instant.

"I've got you," the blue-haired youth muttered grimly, coming in quickly from behind to ease a now unconscious Sage slowly to the ground. "Kento, I'm gonna need some help here!"

"What's wrong with him?" Mia demanded anxiously as she fell to the ground beside Sage's prostrate form. "He was just de-armoring—"

"He's all drained out," Rowen explained gently. "I was kind of expecting this to happen. He'll be okay after he rests for a bit."

"But _you're_ okay," objected Mia, noticing that Rowen had banished his armor without any problems.

"Yes, but I had the whole day to rest," the youth pointed out, meeting her panicked gaze with a tired, reassuring smile, "while this idiot went ambling off to school just because he thought he could."

Mia flushed and Rowen smiled again. "Don't worry, he'll be fine. Go see if you can relieve Kento of his duties so that he can help me with Sage here."

She nodded and made her way quickly to the jeep. Kento had miraculously managed to calm the girl down, and she now sat stiffly but quietly in the front seat, her small face red and blotchy, tears continuing to stream down her cheeks. Mia glanced at Kento and he nodded in understanding, patting the girl briefly on the head before turning to help his companion. Sighing, her headache now receding to a dull throb, she forced a hopeful smile at the girl.

"What's your name?" she asked softly, reaching behind the seat for the seatbelt.

The girl stared silently at the Mia with serious, morose eyes. Although her physical features betrayed her age to be ten or eleven at most, her grey eyes were intelligent and reflected a maturity far beyond her years. Because her dark hair was mussed and her _yukata_ was stained with dirt and leaves, Mia surmised that the girl had probably been roaming in the forest and perhaps gotten lost.

As Mia bent forward to secure her young passenger with the seatbelt, the girl shrank away fearfully. Surprised by this unexpected reaction, Mia paused, unsure, then showed the belt to the suspicious girl.

"It's only a seat belt," the young woman explained, feeling somewhat foolish. "You put it around yourself like this…" Mia demonstrated by wrapping the device around her own body, "…so that you won't get hurt while you're in the car."

The girl shifted her glance from Mia to the seat belt and back to Mia, slowly absorbing this new information. Finally, the girl nodded ever so slightly, and Mia clicked the belt into place.

"What's your name?" Mia asked again casually. She pointed to herself. "My name is Mia Koji."

The girl bit her lip and hesitantly moved her mouth in a whisper.

"Yes?" the young woman prompted, not hearing what had been said.

"H-Hikari Quinn," the girl repeated, her voice no louder than a hush. She then bowed as formally as she could from her seat, to Mia's surprise. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Koji-sama."

Mia blinked incredulously at the formal address and hastily returned the greeting. _She's very polite_, she thought with a smile as she recovered from the bow. Her eyes met with Hikari's, and Mia noted with relief that they were no longer suspicious.

At that point, both Rowen and Kento had made their way to Mia's jeep, carrying Sage between them. Mia opened the passenger doors for them as they gently set their companion on one of the seats.

"Are you driving?" Kento quirked his brow suspiciously at Mia as Rowen positioned himself in one of the seats next to Sage. She laughed in return.

"I believe I'm the only one with the driver's license." Her voice softened as she caught Kento's worried gaze. "I really _am_ fine. My headache's almost gone."

"We trust you, Mia." Rowen gestured impatiently to Kento. "C'mon, Ken, let's go!"

Mia slid onto the driver's seat and turned to her front-seat passenger. Hikari's face had become stone-like, her small hands tightening their grips on the armrests in fearful anticipation.

_Almost as if she's never been in a car before_, Mia thought absently, placing a calming hand on the girl's trembling shoulder.

"It'll be alright, Hikari-chan," she murmured. "I'll take you home and help you find your parents, I promise."

Hikari nodded, though her eyes still harbored uncertainty and terror. Not sure of what else to say, Mia allowed her hand to linger on the girl's shoulder as she started the jeep and carefully drove the remaining distance home.

**-- OOOOOOOOOO --**

Thankfully, the short drive home was uneventful. Staving off her dizziness and headache with determination, Mia managed to get her passengers safely home. Immediately upon reaching their destination, Rowen and Kento both carried an unconscious Sage up to his room to rest while Mia reached over to unbuckle Hikari's seatbelt. The eleven-year-old stared wide-eyed for the first time at the sleeping blonde youth as he was brought inside.

"Sage!" She said his name with astonishing clarity, and Mia stopped in bewilderment, certain that she hadn't introduced the girl to him during the entire trip.

"Do you…know Sage?" Mia finally asked, mentally wondering if perhaps Kento had spoken to Hikari about Sage. The girl ignored the question, turning back to Mia with concern in her eyes.

"Will Sage-sama be okay? Is there anything I can do to help?" It was the greatest amount of words that had been spoken by Hikari since their first encounter, and Mia's thoughts whirled for a proper response. Kento returned at that moment, opening the passenger door and coaxing the girl gently out of the vehicle. Hikari looked up at Mia, unsure.

"He'll be fine, Hikari-chan," the young woman reassured. "Sage just needs to sleep for a bit."

Kento took the small girl's hand in his own as he helped her to the ground. Her knees shook unsteadily and she would have toppled entirely if the Ronin hadn't scooped her up in his arms at that moment.

"Are you okay?" Kento murmured. Hikari was trembling in his arms, but she nodded weakly in response.

"Bring her to the living room," Mia suggested, grabbing the bag of groceries from the back of the jeep. She ran to catch up with Kento's quick strides.

The burly youth placed the shaking girl on the couch and disappeared, taking the bag of groceries from Mia with him. As Mia gently covered the Hikari's shoulders with a blanket, Kento returned with a cup of water, which he offered to the still-trembling girl. She could barely grasp the cup with her two hands, and Mia had to help her take a drink.

"Calm down, Hikari. Everything will be alright," Kento spoke in as gentle a voice as he could muster. However, the young girl seemed immune to his words as her eyes darted back and forth, scanning the unfamiliar room with growing terror. Her breathing grew quick and shallow, her face draining of all color until it was a sickly white.

Mia recognized a panic attack in evolution and enclosed the girl in a protective embrace. Making soothing sounds, she rocked Hikari gently in her arms like a baby as the young girl burst into fresh tears.

"Papa!" she wept miserably, voice muffled under Mia's embrace. "I want Papa!"

"Shh-h…" the young woman stroked Hikari's head. "It'll be alright, Hikari-chan…We'll find your Papa, soon."

The distraught girl continued to weep for her Papa, but her sobs were softer. Mia rocked and soothed, comforting the girl as best she could. Happening to look up, she caught Kento's sad smile.

"I'll get dinner started," he whispered to her, and Mia nodded. Rowen had come down the stairs to see what the commotion was about, but Kento intercepted him, speaking to him in low tones as they both disappeared into the kitchen.

Mia stroked Hikari's head gently as the girl's cries subsided. When only sniffles could be heard, Mia carefully withdrew from the girl, reaching into her own pocket for a handkerchief.

"Feeling better?" she asked softly, drying the tears from the girl's face. Not waiting for an answer, the young woman pinched the girl's nose gently with the handkerchief. "Blow."

Hikari blew her nose, still sniffing. She glanced up at Mia with red-rimmed eyes.

"I'm sorry," the girl finally whispered. "I'm sorry…for troubling you…"

"It's no trouble at all," Mia demurred, patting the girl's hand. "It must be very hard to not be with your papa, Hikari-chan."

Hikari nodded, biting her lip. Mia looked at her thoughtfully. A small part of her mind wanted to question the girl for more information, but she wasn't sure that now was an appropriate time to do so. In fact, the girl looked about to fall asleep.

"I'll be right back," Mia whispered to the girl, slowly getting to her feet. Hikari nodded wearily, hugging her knees to herself. Mia hurried to the next room, gathering blankets and a pillow. When the young woman finally returned to the living room, she found Hikari asleep as expected. Careful not to disturb her, Mia covered the young girl with an additional blanket, tenderly placing the pillow under her small head. Hikari slept on, unperturbed, her face drawn into exhaustion. Mia noted the dark circles surrounding her eyes, the bruises that adorned her arms, and her mouth twisted in concern.

"Mia?" Kento's quiet voice startled Mia out of her thoughts. As the brown-haired woman turned to look at the Ronin, he jerked his head toward the kitchen. "Food's ready."

Mia turned to look one last time at the sleeping girl before following Kento through the hallway and into the adjoining room. She glanced across the dining room table, where a ravenous Rowen was already gulping his soup down with a ferocity that matched Kento at his hungriest. Kento, in the meanwhile, stood beside Mia, waiting for her to take a seat.

"Sage—" she began.

"—is asleep," finished Kento. "And so are Ryo and Hikari. Now eat."

Mia shifted uncomfortably. She was so used to tending after the boys first and herself last, that the thought of eating before any of them made her antsy. Her motherly instincts were too loud for her to simply ignore.

"Only if you eat with me," she finally stated, reaching a compromise. Kento grinned widely, arming himself with another bowl, and taking the seat next to her with a flourish.

"Hey, Kento, that was actually pretty good." Rowen had finished his bowls of soup and rice, and was now standing up for seconds. His friend waved his hand nonchalantly in the air.

"Mama Fuan's recipe," he said proudly, and in went another spoonful.

Mia smiled as she sipped from her own bowl, surprised at Kento's ability to make good soup. In fact, both Rowen and Kento had surprised her in many ways that day, demonstrating their ability to take charge of a bad situation without her or Ryo's guidance.

"How is she?" Mia realized that Rowen was talking to her, having returned from the kitchen with his second bowl of soup.

"Asleep, as Kento said." Mia emptied her bowl with a final sip. "She's pretty exhausted. I have a feeling that she hasn't slept for days."

"Were you able to find anything more about her, other than her name?" Kento inquired. Mia shook her head.

"No. She's looking for her father, but that's all I know. Well, that and there may be a possibility that she knows Sage—"

"She knows Sage?" The two Ronins shared a moment of surprise.

"It's only an assumption," Mia said quickly, and went on to explain how Hikari had recognized Sage while in the car. "We won't know for sure until either she or Sage wakes up, so other than her name, I don't know much about her at all."

"Well, it's a start," Rowen finally pointed out between sips of his soup. "I can make a call to the police tonight and see if a missing person's report has been filed matching her name or description."

Kento nodded. "Good idea, bro. And even if there's no report, we can always make our own report that a girl's been found."

Mia rested her chin on her hands, frowning in thought. Rowen caught Mia's off-stare.

"What are you thinking about, Mia?"

"I noticed something," the young woman said simply, still frowning. Rowen smiled grimly.

"You mean the bruises?"

"Yes!" The young woman leaned forward, eyes bright. "You saw them, too? I was afraid that…I mean, I'm not sure, but I thought—"

"She was running away from someone?" Kento guessed correctly.

"She was running away from someone who hurt her," the Ronin of Strata added more accurately, his tone darkening. Momentary silence ensued and the older woman sighed.

"At any rate," she finally said softly, "She'll be staying here for the night, so she's safe for now."

The other two voiced agreement. As Kento and Mia finished their meal, Rowen excused himself to make the phone call to the police. He returned not ten minutes later just as Mia was gathering the dishes.

"There's no report of a missing girl, at least not in Toyama," he informed his companions. "The officer I spoke to said that he would make inquiries to the districts in the nearby towns to see if they have any reports of missing people. He'll call if anything comes up."

"Thanks, Rowen," Mia smiled gratefully, balancing the empty bowls in one hand. Rowen returned the smile, quickly taking the dishes from Mia, despite her objections.

"You should rest," the blue-haired youth admonished when Mia had quieted. "You went through quite an ordeal today, y'know."

"I'm fine," the young woman insisted stubbornly. "But if you guys don't get enough rest, you'll end up like Sage."

"I wouldn't count on it." Kento had joined the two, and he winked at Mia. "We slept all day, so we're not as wiped out as he is. One more night's sleep and we'll be back to our normal selves."

"We might even go back to school tomorrow," Rowen added wickedly. Mia scowled at him, about to object.

"Well, _someone_ needs to tell Satsuki-chan that her brother's sick, since he obviously won't be going to school tomorrow," Kento defended before the young woman could say anything. "It might as well be us. Besides, Sage probably told her that he'd be over at Rowen's place tonight to work on the history project."

"He probably did," Mia admitted grudgingly.

"Well then, that settles it." Rowen grinned in victory. "We're going to school tomorrow. And you're going to bed. Right now."

Mia knew when to admit defeat. She smiled warmly at the two.

"Thank you," she offered sincerely. "Thank you both for everything today. With all that's happened and all that's still happening, I'm really glad to have you here."

Kento waved her off, grinning humbly. Rowen was blushing slightly.

"It's really nothing, Mia," he mumbled. "We're glad to help."

The young woman nodded, lips still formed in a grateful smile. After wishing the boys a good night, she turned to head back into the living room. Hikari was still curled up on the couch, fast asleep. Mia seated herself by the girl's feet and sighed wearily. She didn't want to think that anybody could have abused Hikari, but the bruises on the girl's arms were a testament to that possibility.

There were additional worries that Mia hadn't voiced to Rowen or Kento, such as how they would deal with the fact that Hikari had seen the boys in their armor. Even if she had been hysterical at the time, Hikari would definitely remember seeing Kento in armor, and Mia wasn't sure if the young girl could be trusted to keep it a secret.

Another sigh escaped her lips. With so many thoughts whirling in her mind, she was getting another headache. Deciding that she didn't want Hikari to sleep on her own, Mia disappeared into the next room, returning with a pillow and spare blanket. Making herself comfortable on the couch across from Hikari, Mia curled up on her side and was soon asleep.


End file.
